More Than Once
by WREIN
Summary: *Sequel to BCS*Can there be more than just one chance at love, among other things?“...you are not alone, in proving foresight may be vain; the best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew, and leave us nothing but grief and pain, for promised joy."RxC
1. PROLOGUE

**A/N: This is the sequel to _Boys Catholic School_. XD I'm so happy about all the reviews I got saying that you guys wanted to read the sequel--so here it is! Thank you so much for your reviews and I do hope you'll enjoy this one just as much! This is the Prologue, Enjoy!**

**P.S. the part of the summary in quotes was from the poem _To a Mouse_ by Robert Burns.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Chrono/Chrno Crusade, it's rights or royalties or characters or whatever. I DO NOT OWN CHRONO/CHRNO CRUSADE.  
**

* * *

**PROLOGUE:**

"_Your small house, too, in ruin!  
Its feeble walls the winds are scattering!  
And nothing now, to build a new one,  
Of coarse grass green!  
And bleak December's winds coming,  
Both bitter and keen!"_ –To a Mouse, Robert Burns

**(Chrono's POV)**

I was steaming. Angry. Angry, mad, irate, displeased; those things didn't even _begin_ to explain the betrayal I felt. I mean, how could she do this to me?! I felt like I would break down. How could _she_, of all people, _how could she do this to me?_ There was so much anger, and too much pain. My eyes…they felt watery. Stupid.

God, I wanted to laugh, I felt so stupid. Maybe I was blinded by the past. Maybe I had been too blinded by the past to see what was in front of me. I was an idiot. A fool. She may have been evil, but I was the fool who fell for her.

"_Chrono," the man looked seriously at him, his scarred face stern, "Chrono, don't trade in something old for something new because it seems better."_

_I nodded absently._

I laughed now. Maybe I should've listened. Of course I hadn't, stupid kid that I was.

I picked up the manila folder, opened it. I looked again at the incriminating photos of the blond I had adored so greatly. Anger, betrayal, and a number of other feelings flashed through me again. With disgust I threw the revolting photos into the blazing flames before me, into the fireplace.

I stared at the fire a long time as I watched the flames eat away the photos, and the heat ate away my watering eyes. I grew weak. Why did I feel so weak? Why did I feel so…?

I crumpled to the ground before the hearth and screamed as more tears came to my eyes. Why?! God, _WHY?!_ I screamed and I screamed, not caring now just who might hear and complain about me to the manager.

After what felt like a billion years in my own revolting pain, I finally got up.

I got up and I sat before the slowly dying fire. The still-living flames licked away into the darkness, the heat warming my face drying the tears there until I could feel no more tears. I sat there. Absently. Coldly. Waiting.

What would she say when she saw me?

If she would confess, perhaps I could still forgive her?

No, things could never be the same again. I could never…never forgive her. Not her. Not now. Never again.

And the sound of the key scraping against the lock sounded now, in the quiet of the room. I turned from the door, looked at the table where the extra manila folder was. I smiled. Even though I'd thrown the other out, there was still this one. Disgusting.

The door slid open almost silently. Her soft steps as she came in.

"Chrono?" she called.

I turned around, a smile on my face.

"Yeah?"

**--END PROLOGUE--**

**A/N: You guys think you know who it is? /:) I'm so excited to be posting this! XD I hope you all liked it and want more! (Sorry it's so short...n.n;) Oh, and please don't forget: Leave a REVIEW! XD  
**


	2. Chapter 1: NEWS

**A/N: :D Okay. Here's the first chapter. I _do_ wonder why so many of you thought the person at the door was Mary though...would you mind telling me? :) Anyways, Enjoy!**

* * *

**--CHAPTER ONE: NEWS--**

(Rosette's POV)

"Really?" I asked into the cell phone.

"Yeah," he answered.

"Where are you then?"

There was a pause, then he laughed.

"I'm at Satella's and Florette's house, here in New York. Actually we're all here. Me, Azzy, Satella, and Florette. We were gonna come check on you guys…" I could hear the smugness in his voice.

"Yeah, right…" I muttered into the phone, "I bet you're just here to take more photos for somebody. Right?"

He laughed. "Aw, Rosette, how'd you know?"

I laughed. "I'm psychic, little brother."

"Rosette Christopher?"

I looked up. The nurse was looking around the waiting room.

"Hey, I gotta go, Joshy. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Yeah." he answered. And with a good-bye we hung up. I got up and headed towards the nurse.

"I'm here. I'm Rosette Christopher."

The nurse smiled and nodded and told me to follow her.

…

"So what's wrong with me?" I asked the doctor, sitting on the table in the little room.

The doctor looked at me.

"C'mon, Remington," I teased. Remington had quit teaching at the high school and was now a practicing doctor. I think he fell for somebody so he didn't want to become one of those people in the order who couldn't marry. I giggled.

"Okay," he looked sideways at me, "But, first, you need to answer some questions."

I looked at him. "Okay, sure."

He took out his clipboard, which had a ton of papers on it, and a pen.

"Okay," he looked a bit uncomfortable, "Let's see…Rosette." He was looking really seriously at me.

"What?" I asked.

He sighed. "When was your last period?"

I blushed deep red. "Um…maybe…like…June…sixth…?"

"Okay…" He muttered as he wrote it down. "Today's the…twentieth. So that was about three weeks ago. Now," he looked really seriously at me and I laughed nervously.

"Y-yeah?"

"When was the last time you were sexually active with someone?" He was looking at the clipboard and seemingly awaiting my answer. My mouth was opening and closing on its own in silent question; if my face was a deep red before, I'm sure it was even darker now. Remington peeked up at me, all seriousness.

"When was the last time you were sexually active, Rosette?"

There was another long moment of silence before I answered. "The…thirteenth. With my fiancé."

"Okay." Remington stood up; brushing his blonde bangs away with a hand he looked at me. "I want you to take a deep breath, Rosette."

And so I did. I took a deep, exaggerated breath, just like the doctor said.

"Rosette, you're…pregnant."

My mouth dropped. And to say I was speechless with surprise would be an understatement.

"WAH—WHAT?!" I finally yelled. How the hell could _that_ be possible?! "HOW IS THAT EVEN _POSSIBLE_?!"

He looked pointedly at me, like "you know how, don't make me explain to you."

I blubbered for a moment more and finally admitted with a deep blush, "It was…my first time. How…?"

Remington sighed heavily but told me to sit down and patted my head, then he said, "Rosette, even if it was your first time, it's still possible. And you _are_ pregnant." He laughed a little. "If he was your first and only, then that means he's the only one who could be the father, anyway."

I smiled, albeit hesitantly. I mean, that _was_ true, but…

Let me explain. See, we're engaged and we were going to wait until we were married, but then…things got a little carried away that night and…we ended up doing _it_. And, as you've just heard, I'm pregnant.

"Are you going to tell him, Rosette?"

I grinned now, a feeling of giddiness starting in my belly. I was pregnant. "Yeah." I answered, "Of course." I put a hand to my still-flat stomach and looked at it in amazement.

"Okay, good." Remington was smiling at me. "Let's make an appointment for next week. Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay."

…

I walked in a daze from the taxi into the tall building. I was pregnant. A goofy smile made its way to my face as my hand landed on my stomach again.

The person at the front desk looked at me and nodded in acknowledgement as I passed. I nodded back with my goofy smile. I pressed the up button and waited for the elevator.

There was a quiet _ding_ as the elevator door opened and a couple stepped out. I stepped in and the doors closed. I went up the multiple floors, till I came to the top.

I walked down the short hallway until I came to the door and I pulled out my key, put it in the lock and turned. The door opened almost silently. The house was shrouded in quiet and the air around me seemed oddly tensed. I looked questioningly around.

"Chrono?" I called.

He turned around from facing the fireplace, a smile on his face. I smiled in return.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Chrono, guess what." I said excitedly as I went over to him, stepping over the hard wood floors with my shoes. "Guess what." I said again.

He smiled absently at me, a strange look in his eyes.

He tilted his head to one side and looked me up and down. "How could you?" I thought I heard him whisper, but within moments he had turned away and I wasn't sure I'd heard him at all.

"What?" I asked.

"Is there…something…you want to tell…me?" he asked with his back turned.

"There is." I grinned. "Guess, Chrono."

He turned back to look at me, suddenly furious for some reason I did not understand. "Stop it." He hissed. There seemed so much pain in his words so, foolish though it may seem, I rushed over to him. I clasped his hands in mine, holding them tightly.

"What's wrong?" I asked after looking at his hands a moment.

He jerked away, turned away from me. "Stop lying." He finally said.

I gasped. "What?!" I yelled. What was I lying about?

He turned to me, his eyes staring piercingly at mine. "Stop lying. How could you do it, huh?! I thought…I thought…! You _USED_ me, didn't you!?! You…betrayed me! How could you keep _LYING_ to me?!" I was so confused. What was he talking about? I didn't know…

"No…" I whispered. "I…I didn't…"

His growl shut me up.

"Get out." He ground out through his teeth. "Get out of my sight. I never want to see you again. I never want to hear from you again. You—!" Even when he was this angry, he would still keep a civilized tongue.

But I didn't understand. "Wait! Chrono—what?!"

He turned away, faced the fireplace again. Then, abruptly, he turned back to me. He looked at my hand and took hold of it. At first I thought he would apologize and say that he was kidding. But that wasn't so. He took my hand and pulled off the engagement ring. He pulled off his, too, then.

And, before my eyes, he threw them into the flames of the fire.

And my hope that this was all a joke shattered.

"Chro…no…?" I asked, totally and absolutely confused now.

He headed off to the room we shared. Our room.

After minutes alone I followed after him. "Chrono!" I yelled.

"Wait, Chrono!" I stopped short as I saw what he was doing. He was gathering my clothes and things into a suitcase. I rushed over to stop him. "Wait, Chrono—stop! What are you doing?!"

He looked coldly at me. "I'm telling you to get out."

My heart froze. My hands clutched at my chest, frozen. Did he…did he really hate me this much? "Chrono…?" I looked at him.

I tried again. "Chrono…I love you," I said. The tears were starting in my eyes. What went wrong?

He didn't even respond. Finally, with a heavy sigh I said, "Chrono…if you tell me right now…if you can say you…truly…truly…" my voice was breaking, "hate me, I will go."

He didn't look at me. But then he said it. "I hate you, Rosette Christopher. How could you betray me?"

I think it was at this moment that my heart shattered into a gazillion pieces. The tears were streaming down my face, but I couldn't feel them. Absently, I pushed his hands away and gathered my things silently.

"Okay…Chrono…" I whispered.

I pulled the suitcase after me as I headed towards the door. "_Stop me!"_ I wanted to scream. I wanted to scream for him to stop me from doing this. If he would just stop me, I could forgive him; it would be like this never happened.

But he never stopped me.

And the sound of the door closing behind was one of most defeating sounds I think I've heard yet. I felt empty. So empty.

How did this happen?

In the elevator I sat crumpled into a heap in a corner and cried.

How could this happen?

…

"Rosette?" I could see their astonished faces as they all gathered up and looked at me, like I was some exotic animal they'd never seen before

I smiled my best for them. "Hey, guys." I said in a cherry tone. "Do you mind…" I looked at Satella and Florette, "If I stay here for a little while?"

Satella ushered me inside, closing the door behind her, and led me to my room.

As she closed the door behind her I broke down in more tears.

…

"_But Mouse, you are not alone,  
In proving foresight may be vain:  
The best laid schemes of mice and men  
Go often askew,  
And leaves us nothing but grief and pain,  
For promised joy!"_ –To a Mouse, Robert Burns

**--END CHAPTER ONE: NEWS--**

**A/N: So how was that? Surprised? I think you want to know what were in the pictures...:D :P Too bad you'll have to wait. I won't be long. Maybe next week. So, please REVIEW. :D Tell me what you think!  
**


	3. Chapter 2: CHOICES

**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long, guys. I already had this finished last weekend, but...I got a little caught up in things, so I couldn't post. The good news? The next chapter's practically finished. It'll be up...maybe this coming weekend! Again, I'm sorry I've taken so long to post this. (This is the chapter where you find out what were in those pics though.:)) Thanks for your reviews and please, Enjoy!  
**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't Chrono/Chrno Crusade or its characters.  
**

* * *

**--CHAPTER TWO: CHOICES—**

"_Still you are blest, compared with me!  
The present only touches you:  
But oh! I backward cast my eye,  
On prospects dreary!  
And forward, though I cannot see,  
I guess and fear!"_ –To a Mouse, Robert Burns

**(Chrono's POV)**

I lay, still as a stone, on the bed. Everything had passed.

I sighed. I was moving out tomorrow.

Tomorrow…

And I fell into unconsciousness with a heavy heart and sigh of a traitor's name on my lips.

…

_I rushed towards the closet. Hiding. I needed somewhere to hide; to think. What did he just mean by __**that**__?_

_He couldn't possibly mean what he'd just said._

_The teacher had called me to the office, then__** he**__ was there and he said he wanted to talk to me somewhere else. So here we were at this coffee/tea shop. That man, what did he mean by what he said? I wasn't a secret. I wasn't. Why would I be? My relatives may not like me very well—I knew they didn't; they sent me here so they could, in a way, get rid of me—but my mother had loved me very much when she was alive, and they all knew about me. How could I be a secret when everyone knew and hated me? So what was that man saying? _

_I opened the door to the closet. They would find me if I went to my room._

_I opened the door. And stopped short in surprise. There was a pause, then the person in the small, enclosed space looked up at me with tear-filled eyes, her lips quivering. She held a switchblade in one hand. The sleeve of her arm was rolled up. There were scars; deep, bleeding scars. _

_I gasped then and knelt before her, the light from behind me shining on her beautifully sad face, her crumpled form hunched on the far wall. I took her hands in mine, to stop her from further hurting herself. I looked at her face; she looked away. I took the knife from her hand. _

"_Chrono?" _

_Shoot._

_I looked back at the hallway letting light in behind us. A lot sure seemed to happen in closets. I sighed. _

_I got back up and headed back towards the door, there was not a sound from the girl behind me. Peeking out quickly to make sure no one was there yet, I closed the door._

_We were engulfed in darkness, the only light coming from the crack under the door. _

_I kneeled in front of the girl again. _

"_Ge-get away from me," she whispered in a trembling voice. I backed off a little. _

_But, with a sigh, I got up to sit down next to her. _

"_Are you okay?" I asked in a soft whisper._

_She didn't answer._

_Then:_

"_I-I don't know." And she broke into quiet sobs._

_Me, not knowing what to do, I scooted closer to her until we were sitting shoulder to shoulder. _

"_Hey," I said. She didn't answer._

_I turned towards her and wrapped my arms around her. "Hey, it'll be okay. Whatever it is, it'll be okay."_

_She grabbed at my hands and she gasped a little. Yeah, the scars._

"_It's just…not. I can't remember…I can't remember." She whispered in between her sobs._

_My eyes softened as I held her closer to me. Sometimes it was just easier to talk to a complete stranger, than to someone you've known forever._

_And sometimes you just have to say the things that will make it easier to live. "It's all right, you don't have to remember." I whispered to her though I didn't know what she couldn't remember. Her small hands clutched at my chest. I was just a little taller than her, sitting down like this._

_We sat like that a long time, in the dark closet with the only light coming from under the crack._

_And after that long time she was silent._

"_Thanks," she finally murmured into the air._

_I didn't know what to say. She was thanking me for staying here when I'd needed a place to hide. What was I supposed to say to that?_

"_It's…" I started, but changed my mind and instead asked, "What's your name?"_

_There was another drawn out moment of silence, and I thought she wasn't going to tell me, but then her hands where on each side of my face, and in the little light I saw her tear stained face as she said, "Mary Magdalene."_

_I was entranced a moment too long; she stood with a slight rustling of fabric and the door was opened. The light came flooding in and it was like waking from a dream. She was about to step out the door before I could say, "I'm Chrono."_

_And with the words, she stopped. She turned around to look at me, the light from the hall shining around her and creating a soft glow. She reminded me of an angel, her long platinum-blond hair washed in the light and her form glowing like that. An angel. A broken angel._

_Then there was a soft smile on her lips and my heart almost stopped. I'm sure it must've stopped for more than a second._

"_Chrono…Daemon?" she asked._

_Shocked, I nodded absently._

"_I know you. He talks about you. The Father does." And she left._

_She…knew me? The father? What was she talking about? _

_But she was gone._

…

I woke with the memory fresh in my mind. Mary.

I lay there a long time, staring up at the ceiling. I glanced at the side table. Why did I put the folder there yesterday? I didn't want to be reminded of that first thing in the morning. But how could I _not_ be. If this were the same as any other day…

Rosette would be here.

She would be beside me, still sleeping, softly snoring.

The bed was empty, but for me. And I felt strangely cold.

But she had betrayed me. How could I forgive that?

I opened the files again to look at the photos. My heart broke again. My body went cold. I felt oddly…numb. Like none of this really existed and…I was just a person watching this story unfold.

We had found each other again. We were in college. We were at Harvard. We were engaged. We were going to get married and have a family.

How did it all break like this?

This photo.

I read the information again.

**PRIVATE INVESTIGATION OF: **_**ROSETTE CHRISTOPHER**_**:**

**GENERAL INFORMATION:**

_**NAME: ROSETTE CHRISTOPHER**_

_**AGE: 20 YEARS OLD**_

_**GENDER: FEMALE**_

**DATE: 16 JUNE 2010**

_**Rosette Christopher leaves for classes at 8:00 am…**_

I scanned through all that until I came to the last paragraph.

…_**she leaves the apartment at 3:00 pm. Arrives at Motts' Motel 3:20 pm. Rosette Christopher is met at door by Jonathon Smite, Vice CEO Smite and Food Incorporated. Rosette Christopher and Jonathon Smite talk for ten minutes. At 3:30 they start kissing and taking off their clothing. They finish having sexual intercourse at 4:06 pm and start re-dressing…**_

The rest didn't matter. All I had to do was look at the photos.

There she was, naked and in the bed, covered by sheets and the man on top of her, her arms around him as she smiled at him.

And my heart stopped again. Pain ripped through me.

Really. How could she do it? How could she do this to me?

I smiled cynically down at the photo.

But she was gone now.

And it was better that way.

But…then…why did my heart…why did it hurt so much? Why did it ache this way? Why did it have to betray me, too, when it knew this was for the best; that I could never look at her the same for betraying me like she had.

Wasn't I good enough?

What was so great about _him_?

I honestly…honestly wanted to know. _Why him?_

Why?

Why wasn't _I_ good enough?

_Why?_

That cursed question that only caused more questions to form.

I got up. Headed for the bathroom.

I looked at the sink. Her toothbrush was still here. Her comb. Her towel.

And it hurt. But I looked away.

I took my shower and I got out; out of that room; out of that house; out of that place where everything reminded me of her and everything that reminded me of her reminded me of the way she had betrayed me so badly.

I wandered around the streets, I finally flagged down a taxi and decided to head towards the school.

I had classes today anyways.

…

"Chrono? Are you okay?"

I looked up and nodded.

"I…really didn't know if I should've given you those, but…"

I interrupted her. "It's okay, Mary. Thanks for giving them to me."

She was visibly relieved. "Okay. Chrono…" I looked up.

"Yeah?"

"I…I'm still here for you if you need to talk." And she turned and left for her classes.

"Yeah…" I murmured into the air behind her.

Yeah.

…

Strangely, I didn't see Rosette that day. And I knew she had classes. Was she too afraid to face me?

After that day I never saw her at the campus again; not trying to get from one class to the other, not in the courtyard. Nowhere. I never saw her again.

Never.

Yet…somewhere inside…I wished to see her face among the numerous faces of the other students. Somewhere inside I still missed her so much…

**--END CHAPTER TWO: CHOICES--**

**

* * *

**

**A/N: So...? How was it? And I'd just like to say right now that all the chapters won't be first person perspective like they were in BCS. It's just these first few chapters. Okay? Okay. Good. Sorry again about the delay. n.n; It couldn't be helped though. I know, I know...excuses, excuses. That's all now, please, REVIEW! :) (and thanks for reading, too!)**

**P.S. Also, I'll be changing the title next time I post. The new title will be shorter: _More Than Once_. Okay? I'm telling you now so that when I change it I won't lose all you wonderful readers and reviewers. XD Be on the look out!  
**


	4. Chapter 3: PAST

**A/N: Okay. The title is changed. It should be _More Than Once_ now. Enjoy!**

* * *

**--CHAPTER THREE: PAST—**

"So how is it going?" He asked, innocently.

She looked at him, unsure.

"Those photos…"

"The one's I told you to give to Chrono?" He asked.

"They…they were real. Right?" She asked. If they _weren't_ real…

"_Father Remington," she called to the man in the infirmary. _

_He turned around. "Oh, Mary," he looked in the general direction of her arms, "Do you need bandages again?" There was a torn look on his face. _

_She nodded, but she added, "How is that boy you were talking about doing? Chrono…"_

"_Oh," he nodded, a soft smile now making its way to his face as he took her hand and she sat down._

"_I think…I think he's doing well now, Mary. The cuts on his arms are healing and there doesn't seem to be any fresh ones. Or, at least, he doesn't…no more bandages are mysteriously disappearing…" he paused now and looked at her, "What about you."_

_She knew what he was talking about._

_She had her own wounds, too._

"_I…I'm fine." She replied. "I…met him…I think." She added._

_Now Father Remington looked with astonishment at her. "Who? Chrono?"_

_She nodded. "Yeah. I think I met him." _

"_Oh." A long silence dragged out._

"_I…do you think…" she blushed, "Does he have a…" she couldn't believe she was asking this, "Does he have a girlfriend…?" _

_Ewan sat, stunned._

"_No," he finally said, "I don't think he does."_

"_Oh, well," she grinned, "do you think I could meet him again?" _

"_Uh…yeah. Yeah, I'm sure you could."_

"_Okay," she chirped, happier now._

"_He goes to the boys' school down a couple blocks from here."_

_She grinned. "Okay. I want to thank him."_

_Ewan Remington refrained from asking what she was going to thank the other teenager for._

"_One more thing," he added quickly before she left._

"_Yes?" she asked._

"_I'm not going to work here anymore. Since I'd originally thought about becoming a doctor…I think now's the chance to…"_

_Mary gasped. "Really?" She asked with some excitement. _

"_Y-yeah." he answered. He hadn't expected her to be so thrilled._

"_That's great, Father Remington. I bet I know who you're really doing it for though…" she grinned and the blonde man's cheeks dusted in pink. He laughed nervously._

"_But…" she paused now, "Who's going to take your place now?" _

_He waved his hand. "Oh, some other teacher of course. And there'll be a nurse here now, so, Mary, you've got to stop hurting yourself." He knew that wouldn't help much, but he had to try._

_She smiled softly at him. At times like this he felt like she was the older one and not him. He sighed. _

"_Okay, Mary, I'm going back to the boys' school. You…" he looked pointedly at her arms._

"_Yes, Father Remington."_

"_Okay." _

_And he left._

…

_She stood in front of the main entrance and waited. She'd gone to the administration office and had asked which class Chrono had for the last hour of the day. He would be coming out soon._

_And just at that moment, he did. He stopped as he walked past her and turned around. He stared at her for a moment. _

"_M…Mary?"_

_She grinned. "You remember me?"_

_He blushed and she laughed. "Y-yeah…of course I do." he was rubbing the back of his neck nervously._

"_So…?" he asked leadingly as she walked with him down the little path that led through the now-blossoming cheery trees._

'_It's too bad Rosette didn't get to see these…' he thought to himself as he looked at the falling petals._

"_Are—"_

_She interrupted him. "I wanted to thank you—for the other day."_

"_O-oh." He somehow felt a little disappointed. "That's okay. I…I hope you're doing okay."_

_She nodded. "Yeah, I am."_

_He sighed. "Good."_

_She grinned again as she hopped in front and turned back to face him. "I—I decided I'd stop…you know…"_

"_O-oh." He was stunned for a moment, then he grinned widely at her. "That's good. If you ever need anything…you can come to me. Okay?"_

_She grinned back as he walked beside her again. "Thanks. I will."_

_They talked._

_Later they would admit to themselves that they'd fallen in love._

_Chrono would come to tell her then that he'd…fallen for her and ask if she would "go out" with him. And, of course, she happily said yes. She stopped cutting. He relieved her pain. _

"_Mary, you're not alone." He'd say, "You don't have to be alone…" _

_And he taught her that she didn't need to go through that pain alone._

"_I'm right here."_

—_because he was with her. And she, though she didn't know it, she'd taught him many things, too._

"Yes, those photos were real."

And her heart sunk. Though there was a part in her that had really hoped it was true, she wanted, more than anything, for him not to be hurt. Maybe she shouldn't have shown him the photos. Maybe she shouldn't have given them to him.

But she couldn't stand by and watch as the woman he now loved—and loved so dearly—turned around and betrayed him. She loved him, too. Mary did still have a place in her heart where she loved him still and that part of her would never go away because he had been her first love.

First loves don't go away so easily.

Of course Mary never knew about Chrono's "first love" of sorts.

…

"Oh…Mary," he was in tears and her heart broke. He'd loved her so much. Mary was infuriated that that woman could betray Chrono. How could she have done this to _Chrono_?

Chrono looked up with teary eyes. Could he really lean on his old love? Would he just be burdening her? He had to stop.

He choked out a sob as his hand came up to wipe at his eyes. "I-I'm sorry."

He wiped at his eyes.

"It's okay," she said. Why did _he_ have to be the one that hurt so much? The blond knelt in front of Chrono. "It's okay…" she muttered again. She folded him into her arms and held him tightly. Why did he have to be the one that got hurt? And, at this moment, Mary hated that woman more than anything else. How could she have betrayed Chrono?

"It's all right, Chrono…Everything will be alright…" She kissed his head.

"I still love you, Chrono." She whispered quietly.

She didn't know if this was "taking advantage" of him, but she wanted him to know she really did still love him. Very much actually.

"It's okay…"

…

"_You saw the fields laid bare and wasted,  
And weary winter coming fast,  
And cozy here, beneath the blast,  
You thought to dwell,  
Till crash! the cruel plough past  
Out through your cell."_ –To a Mouse, Robert Burns

**--END CHAPTER THREE: PAST--**

**

* * *

**

**A/N: I don't know...how was that? You know, sometimes I wonder if people even read these author notes. XD ANYWAYS, Thank you for reading and please REVIEW. The next chapter should be up next week. I can't make any promises on that though...**

**P.S. I hope I didn't make the characters _too_ out of character...though it might be a little early to tell...  
**


	5. Chapter 4: FUTURE

**A/N: I'm always late, aren't I? Well, that's why I don't make promises...But here it is! Enjoy! **

**(P.S. Note the skipped amount of time, please. I hope you're not confused; if you are...well, tell me. I'll try to explain.)  
**

* * *

**--CHAPTER FOUR: FUTURE—**

She woke, her chest heaving, and tears streaming down the sides of her face. The tears burned so hot, it seemed they would burn their trail forever into her skin and leave her with the scars.

She fumbled through the darkness and opened a drawer, pulling out a notebook and a pen. In the dim lighting from the window she wrote down her panic and fear…and her dreams of him.

"Mommy…" A voice came from the door and the blonde looked up.

"Oh. Baby," She smiled as she wiped at the tears on her face. "How long have you been there? Why're you awake?"

He moved aside and behind him was his sister, their hands firmly clasped together.

"Oh, you're both awake?" She asked.

They nodded. "Mommy, the thunder is scary," the little girl said and the little boy beside her nodded as they came into the room.

She patted the blankets beside her. "Here then. Why don't you sleep with mommy tonight?"

All too happy, they obliged and snuggled themselves against the warmth of their mother.

The blonde dried the rest of her tears quickly as she hugged the two children close to her, forgetting, if only momentarily, of the dream that had awakened her in the first place.

"Did I tell you," She asked her children, "That I was scared of the thunder, too?"

They shook their heads as they snuggled closer into her embrace.

"Well…" she said, "I _was_ scared of the thunder; both me and your Uncle Joshy…" There were giggles as they laughed, but soon, as their mother continued with the story in her soft and kind voice, their breathing slowed and they fell gently asleep.

And as she fell back into unconsciousness a final realization that it was four years now since he'd kicked her out made its way to her mind. But the thought dissipated as the sound of the early autumn rain drizzled on outside and the children—_her_ children—pressed warmly against her.

…

It was still early but he stood before the giant oak desk, motionlessly. The rain that had fallen during the night had left drops of trailing water in its wake.

"Well, let's celebrate, my boy!" the old man exclaimed as a big grin appeared on his face, "You're _the_ Vice President of this company now and I expect you to do a good job, you hear me?" He said seriously. With a giant, goofy grin still on his face. Chrono couldn't help but sigh.

"Remember when I first met you? It was _years_ ago and I told you who I was and that you had been kept secret. And you ran away on me!" the man laughed, "And look where you are today! The proud Vice President of Daemonium Banking Inc.! You don't know how proud your old grandpa here is of you!"

Yes, he remembered when they'd first met. He'd been called to the office and the old man had looked at him and said that they needed to talk elsewhere, so they went to some coffee shop and the man said, "So you're my grandson…you look just like your mother." He'd smiled; then he frowned. "And your father. Do you know who your father is, my boy?" He hadn't. Of course he hadn't known. "Well, they tried to keep you secret from me, but _no-sir-ree_! You can't keep a secret like a child forever! Especially not the child of my darling Lilith!"

And here he was.

"Of course," the man who was his grandfather continued, "We'll be having a party this evening. The press will be welcome and you're going to be announced as the VP!"

Chrono sighed. He hated parties…

"Yeah. Great. What time am I supposed to be there?"

The old man grinned. "Eight O'clock. Sharp."

"Yes, sir."

Now he could leave.

And he was all too happy. He blew the bangs in front of his face. He'd decided to let it grow again, his hair. When…_she'd_ been there it was short and he'd started growing it out for her, but…when she…he'd cut it. And kept it short.

But…now, he thought. Now, maybe he could grow it out again.

It was…all in the past now.

Maybe he would grow it out again.

It had been four years already, after all.

…

Rosette smiled softly as she pulled the brush through her daughters' dark purple hair. Her sons' was already done, his curls pulled back into a neat, low ponytail tied with a ribbon. She was tying her daughters' wavy curls into two low pigtails. She tied it with matching ribbons.

"There." She said as she pulled back and smiled.

The little grinned up at her. "I look pretty?" she asked, "Like Mommy?"

Rosette grinned back. "You look absolutely _gorgeous_."

The boy came running up. "And me? Am I pretty, too?" he asked.

"Of course. You, too." she kissed their foreheads and snapped the buttons on their suspenders.

"You're my absolutely wonderful, gorgeous, beautiful babies." She looked at her wristwatch and grinned as she grabbed their small hands. "But we have to go now. We're going to be late to your first day of school if we don't hurry." The blonde laughed as she was pulled by the hands through the door by the two excited children.

…

"Chrono!"

He turned to where he'd heard his name called and grinned. "Mary! What're you doing here?"

She pouted a little and then smiled at him. "Aren't I allowed to see my boyfriend—even though he _is_ so busy with everything else…?"

He grinned as he pulled her in for a hug. "Of course you are."

The dark-haired man took a deep breath, taking in the scent of her—but stopped short as he froze. Realizing what he'd just done, he quickly squeezed his arms around her tightly and lifted her up before he set her back down on the ground and took a step back to look at her, smiling.

"So what do you want to do?" He asked as they walked along. His mind wandered back to before, troubled by his odd reaction. He shouldn't have stopped so suddenly then. Mary smelled nice, like she always did; she smelled like soft lavender and roses blooming in the cool breeze of a summer night.

She took his hand in hers. "How about we just walk today? And talk." She paused. "I have to get back to work in two hours anyway." She grinned now as she stopped and turned to face him. "So let's just do whatever. Okay?"

He grinned. "Sure. Then why don't we grab something to eat quick."

"Oh!" there was excitement on her face, "I know the perfect place!"

…

"Remington?"

"Father Remington!"

The blonde man looked up from the newspapers in his hands. "It's _Doctor_ Remington." He grinned tiredly.

"I haven't seen you two in a long time."

The couple looked down at him. "Neither have we." Mary looked at the seat across from the blond man, "Can we sit here with you, Remington?"

He smiled as he waved a hand. "Yeah, sure. Sit. Let's catch up." He looked at his watch and sighed. "I have to get back to the clinic soon though."

Chrono felt a little sympathy for the man. He looked like hell. There were wrinkles in his forehead, on his face. His eyes were bloodshot and there were noticeable bags under them. He brought a hand up to brush away the long bangs in his face, only making his hair appear more of a mess. He sighed again.

"Sorry, kids," he said as he looked at them as they sat across from him, "I had another all-nighter. A kid…" he waved his hand, as if waving away the thought. "Anyways, how have you two been?" He eyed the couple.

He knew about them. Of course he did. Chrono, Mary, and Rosette.

He also knew that Rosette was a taboo topic.

Chrono smiled softly as a slightly faraway look appeared in his eyes and Mary told Remington about how she and Chrono had gone out last week to a wonderful Italian restaurant and how great the food tasted. "Maybe we should all go together sometime…" Mary thought out loud.

"That would be wonderful."

"Wouldn't it? Chrono?" The blonde turned to the dark-haired man beside her.

"Hmm?" He asked, then nodded his head, "Yeah, that'd be great. Let's all go together sometime."

So he _had_ been listening, Remington thought. He'd practically watched as the two grew up before his very own eyes. They'd become _adults_ in front of him; they were no longer those lonely, naïve teenagers. They were making their way through life, and they were doing a very good job, but…sometimes…he had to wonder—

"Oh!" Chrono suddenly exclaimed. He turned to Mary. "Are you free tonight?" The young man turned to him now. "And you, too, Remington."

"Huh?" they both asked in unison. Mary turned to look at him before turning to her boyfriend and asking, "Free for what, Chrono?"

Chrono grinned tiredly. "What else?" He laughed a little. "The old man is throwing a party tonight, press and all. Tonight he's formally announcing me as his new Vice President."

There was a moment of silence before either of the blondes asked, "Tonight?"

Chrono looked almost crestfallen for a moment before a big grin made its way to his face. "I-It's okay if you can't come…"

Mary took his hands in hers, a smile on her face. "Of course I'm coming, Chrono."

He looked at her. "You sure you can? If you're busy…it's alright, you know."

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm free tonight. Let's go pick out some things to wear after we're done eating." The platinum blonde was grinning.

"Yeah. Okay." And the purple-haired man grinned back.

Remington sighed. "I'm sorry, you two. But I'm _not_ free tonight."

"Oh…" Mary was looking at him teasingly now, "Don't tell me…you have a _date_ with someone…?"

The blond man blushed. "N-no. Nothing like that." And he heaved a sigh again. "It's just that…since I started at the clinic...it's always so busy. Tonight's the only night I have off for three days." A tinge of pink dusted his cheeks. It was kind of an embarrassing thing to admit, but…he couldn't stand to go to a party, being this tired. The clinic always seemed shorthanded and, as much as he loved working there, it was _so_ very tiring.

"It's all right, Remington." Chrono looked him up and down. "You look like your head's just about ready to drop down and sleep in a second."

"Yeah, I'll bet."

They laughed.

…

The blonde smiled contently as she unlocked the door and opened it, flipping the "Closed" sign over to "Open"; the smell of the sweets from the bakery wafting around her smelled deliciously mouthwatering. She grinned as she headed back behind the counter, bustling about and getting things ready.

The sound of the bells above the door jingled as her first customer of the day arrived.

She smiled happily as she turned around, upon hearing the aggravated growl.

"Come now," she teased as she looked at the man with dark brown hair, "What's got your panties all up in a bunch?" She snickered at his dark glare.

"Your schedule's what's got my panties all up in a bunch." He growled.

"C'mon, _Jo-na-thon_," she teased back, "You _know_ I need to send my babies to school. This is the way it's gonna be from now on, so you're gonna have to deal with it."

"But, _Rosette_…" the man whined.

Rosette laughed.

"What do you want today?"

The man sighed. "Fine," his lip jutted out in a pout.

"I want…you."

…

"_I doubt not, sometimes, but you may steal;  
What then? Poor beast, you must live!  
An odd ear in twenty-four sheaves  
Is a small request;  
I will get a blessing with what is left,  
And never miss it."_ –To a Mouse, Robert Burns

**--END CHAPTER FOUR: FUTURE--**

**

* * *

A/N: Wow... This is the first time in a _LONG_ time that I've written in third-person-POV. (Not counting last chapter, that is.) I hope it wasn't TOO bad...because the rest of the story will be in third-person, too. I hope you liked it; if you didn't...oh, well. Tell me your thoughts! (That means please REVIEW!) :D  
**


	6. Chapter 5: DAY

**A/N: I'm sorry for putting you guys through all this weird updating stuff. I would've put this up sooner, but my computer was flipping out. And I only have this one. So...yeah. Um...thank you for understanding and still sticking with this story. I'll TRY to update sooner next time. TRY. But, in the meantime, you have this chapter. :) Enjoy!**

**P.S. If you haven't noticed yet, there _will_ be OCs in this story. It wouldn't work without them. :)  
**

* * *

**--CHAPTER FIVE: DAY--**

"Jonathon!" Rosette laughed. "You already _know_ the answer to that one."

The man sighed.

"You're still hung up over that other guy aren't you…" he mumbled quietly to himself, though he didn't know who "that other guy" was, he knew he was there. "You know, Rosette," he started, "I…you know I can take care of you and…I love Aimee and Xavier. I can take care of all of you. Why don't you at least _try_ going out with me just once."

The blonde looked fondly at him before she burst into laughter.

He looked her in the eye. "You know I'm serious, Rosette."

"Yes…yes," she covered her mouth, trying to smuggle the laughter, "I know how serious you are, Johny."

She was _not_ taking him seriously at all. His lip jutted out in pout as he glared at her. Why wouldn't she take him seriously?

"Johny, Johny, Johny," Rosette was sober now as she got out the things he usually ordered. She sighed. "You know, why don't you try someone your own age? I'm sure it'd be better than dating an older woman who already has two kids."

Rosette was an older woman with not _one_, but _two_ kids already. She didn't know why the younger man wouldn't leave her alone. She was three years older than him, for Pete's sake! And even just going out with her would be scandalous for him. She knew that. Everybody wanted to know everything about the "rich and famous"—especially if the rich and famous did something that seemed incredibly stupid, or wrong, or bad. Everybody wanted to know everything. And this, if he started going out with her _would be_ incredibly stupid, wrong, and bad. Right?

"I already have. I don't like any of them as much as I like you." The younger boy answered simply.

She sighed as she put his coffee—black—into a cup. She didn't understand how he could drink black coffee. It was too bitter, in her opinion. But…she thought…then again, other people _did_ like their coffees black like he did.

"Are you sure," she said as she carried the plate with the croissant and the cup of coffee to a nearby table, "that you're not just after the chase?" She set the items down on the table as he followed after her.

"Yes, I'm sure." He growled. How could she think he was just after the chase? He'd gone out with plenty of girls. None of them were like Rosette.

She turned around to look at him, eyebrows raised as she looked him up and down. He'd really grown up, she thought absently. Broad shoulders, square jaws, and five-eight in his dark suit, his dark brown hair was cut short.

"You look nice today." She said at last.

He growled. "I look nice _every day_. Stop changing the topic! Why won't you—"

The bell rang.

Ah, saved by the bell it seemed.

"Ms. Rosette?" someone called from the door.

Rosette grinned as she glanced over. "Mr. Peterson," she acknowledged, "It's good to see you."

He grinned. "It's good to see you, too." The old man glanced over at Jonathon. "Are you pestering Rosette again, Johny?" the old man teased with a gleam in his eye.

The boy blushed as he looked down at his shoes. The blonde had to snicker at his childish behavior.

He turned to glare at her quickly before mumbling, "No, sir."

Rosette burst into laughter as did the old man and Johny's head bent lower as the tips of his ears burned red.

"Alright if I have a seat here with you, Johny?" the old man asked as he walked over to sit next to the boy.

"Yeah, go ahead."

"Okay, what would you like today, Mr. Peterson?" Rosette asked as he sat down across from the younger boy.

"Well…let's see…"

…

He walked out of the changing room.

"So…" he started as he stood in front of the blonde, "How does this look? Okay?"

He fidgeted nervously, pulling at the hems of the jacket.

Mary grinned at him. "You look great in that."

He turned to look at himself in the mirror.

"Of course," Mary continued teasingly, "You looked great in all the _other_ cloths you tried on…"

Chrono blushed. "Y-yeah? Which do you think I should get then?" he asked.

"Why don't we just go with that one then; it'll match the dress we got." She smiled as he turned to head back to the changing room. As soon as he was gone, her smile disappeared. Was it just her, or was he getting more and more distant?

Or had it always been this way?

Had he always been so distant, and she had just not wanted to see?

No. She shook her head. It hadn't _always_ been this way. Before, when they were in high school, when they'd first been with each other, that had been real. They had been close.

But…

Afterwards…after his engagement ended with that other girl…after that…

He'd never been so close again.

He tries to hide it, she thought, he does. He smiles and laughs and acts as if nothing has changed.

As if he still loved her the same as before.

…

--one week later--

People had come and they had gone.

She'd talked and smiled and laugh and empathized with them. And, inside, she told herself that if she did these things often enough they would feel real. They did, at times. The laughter and smiles.

Especially when she was with her babies.

She smiled as she thought of them; their long violet locks that locked just like _his_, but for the fact that theirs' were curled, and their one red eye that looked like _his_—their other being blue, like hers—and their soft, pale, lovely faces. She smiled. They were her little angels.

She remembered the time and looked up at the clock.

It read 11:30.

She hurried to the fridge and pulled out the bologna, the mayonnaise, and the lettuce. From the counter she grabbed the bread and the Tupperware. Quickly washing off the lettuce, and her hands, she turned back to the bread and pulled out six slices—enough for three sandwiches. The blonde piled bologna on three slices of bread and, on top of that, piled the lettuce. She swathed a knife in the mayo jar and spread it on the bread. She quickly proceeded to pack them into the Tupperware she'd taken out.

Grabbing the two sippy cups in the fridge, and her own water bottle, she stuffed the lunch into the bag along with a bag of baby carrots, dip, and crackers. Locking the door behind her as she hurried out, she flipped the sign over from "open" to "close" as she left.

…

"I have to go now."

The girl tilted her head questioningly, her violet locks falling to one side.

"It's time to go home soon."

She quickly turned around to the new voice.

"Xavier!" she shouted as she waved exuberantly for him to come over. He shyly did so.

"Hey, Xaver."

His eyes lowered at the other boy.

The girl quickly turned around and corrected the other boy with hands on her hips. "It's _Xae-Vee-Er_. Not "Saver" okay?"

The boy nodded.

"Oh," he glanced at the door. "My daddy's here today."

He pointed at the door to a man with shoulder-length red hair. "Look." He waved at the man. The man smiled as the boy waved at him and waved back.

"Oh." The little girl murmured, a little confused.

"Okay! Bye Amee! Bye _Xavier_!" And he ran over to the man with the red hair. The man grabbed the boy and hoisted him up, kissing his forehead as they turned around and started walking away.

"Xavier," the girl turned to her brother, "What's a "daddy"?"

The boy looked at her, just as confused. "I don't know. Let's ask Mommy. Maybe a "daddy" is…a big, _big_ brother."

"Oh." The girl smiled brightly, "Okay! Let's ask Mommy then."

A new thought suddenly came to her mind.

"Hey, Xavier?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we have a "daddy" too?"

…

The man sighed. This was such tedious work. It was looking at papers…looking at papers…sign…read…look at more papers…sign…meetings…papers…politeness…papers…sign…smile…sign…always the same it seemed.

He sighed more deeply. He didn't remember why he'd chosen this job—why he'd accepted.

The man brushed back his purple bangs.

Really…was this any better than before? He really couldn't remember the reason why he'd accepted his grandfathers' offer to work in the company.

…

"Hey…"

"_Hey_…"

"_**HEY!"**_

The man jolted awake.

"A-ah. Sorry. I must've dozed off…" He laughed embarrassedly.

The woman frowned.

"Really, Remington, you _must_ rest more often. This is not good for your health."

"Y-yeah, I know. But…" He laughed again, "The clinic's so busy…you just lose the time."

The woman smiled softly.

His heart fluttered a little and a blush made its way to his face. He laughed nervously as he turned away.

"Oh," she remembered why she'd come, "You wanted me to get these files for you, right?"

"Well…" he trailed off, "_You_ didn't need to…you could've asked a nurse."

"Well." she said. "You asked me to specifically, so I had to get it for you."

"Ah," he smiled, "Thanks, then, Kate."

"All right," She smiled, "Go home now, Remington. Get some sleep, would you."

As she turned away the blond got up from the bench he'd been waiting on. He looked quickly at the files in his hands.

Yes, these were the right files: the medical files of Rosette Christopher.

**--END CHAPTER FIVE: DAY--**

**

* * *

**

**A/N: Okay. That's that. I've already started chapter six. So maybe I can get that up soon... Anyways, I hope that was okay. Some of this I typed while I was _really_ tired (more than half-asleep, I might say.) So forgive me if there were mistakes. I _did_ go over it though, so I don't think there should be too many mistakes. Yep. Thanks for sticking with me and reading. I feel like I'm making some of the characters, OUT of character. Sorry if I'm confusing you. But...never mind. Oh, and please, if it's not too much trouble, REVEIW. :D**

**P.S. to bunnirabid: I can't reply to your reviews, so I'm telling you here. Thank you for reviewing so many chapters of my stories. :) I really appreciate it. You know, I don't know why you don't just make an account on here. I wanted to thank you though. :)**


	7. Chapter 6: AMBIGUITY

**A/N: Okay, here's your next chapter! It's been a long time since I've updated AGAIN, huh? :) Sorry. BUT, the good news: I have the next chapter PRACTICALLY done. :D I'll put it up within a day or two--I promise! So! You won't have to wait long for the next update. :) I hope that makes you as giddy as it makes me. Anyways, Enjoy! **

* * *

**--CHAPTER SIX: AMBIGUITY--**

"Mommy?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Mommy, what's a daddy?"

The blonde turned suddenly to the child beside her. She'd known this day would come. The day they would ask this. But…she hadn't wanted it to come so soon.

"Aimee..." she thought carefully about what she was going to say next, "Why are you asking me?"

The little girl turned to her brother.

"A boy with red hair like Ariel's came and got him." The little boy turned to look at her now. "And Ariel said it was his daddy."

"Yeah," the little girl continued, "And Ariel's daddy picked him up and kissed him on the head right…" she placed a hand on her forehead to indicate what she'd meant. "Right here."

"Oh?" She answered. How was she going to explain this to her children? "Do you want to eat lunch at the beach or the park?" She answered instead.

"The beach! The beach!" they shouted.

She smiled.

"Okay. BUT—" they looked at her sadly. There always had to be a "but" huh? "—You have to eat first. _Then_ you can play. Okay?" She grinned at them.

They sadly obliged.

…

He set the papers down on the coffee table in front of his sofa and went to the kitchen to get himself a quick snack before reading.

He grabbed a half-eaten can of peaches and a fork and settled into the sofa.

"Okay…"

The dusty light from the blinded windows streamed in, rays of light landing here and there in his somewhat dim apartment.

The man leaned his head back and relaxed into the cushions breathing out a deep sigh of relief before sitting back up abruptly.

"Now," he muttered to himself, "back to the task at hand."

He reached for the files and opened it up. Inside were papers.

The top were copies of birth certificates.

Three of them:

**ROSETTE CHRISTOPHER-HARVENHEIT**

**XAVIER CHRISTOPHER**

**AIMEE CHRISTOPHER**

"Shit."

He flopped back onto the sofa.

"I'm in some _deep_ crap…" he muttered to himself. Stupid doctor-patient confidentiality.

He'd known she was pregnant. But…after not hearing from her again, but for that one time when she'd called him after the break up and asked him to say nothing about the pregnancy, he'd thought she might've gotten an abortion. Of course he couldn't say anything to the father—or to Mary—because of the doctor-patient confidentiality thing. Now…

_This_.

"Shit." He brought a tired hand up to rub at his temples.

He was going to get a headache from all this…

Scratch that. He was _already_ getting a headache from this.

The can of half-eaten peaches sat half-eaten.

…

"Well…you see…" Rosette was having a very hard time trying to explain to her children what a daddy was. It shouldn't have been this hard really…

The children stared, openly curious, at her, just waiting to sponge in the information she was going to tell them.

Rosette sighed.

"Well, a "daddy" is," she paused a second more, "A daddy is someone who loves you very muc—"

But before she could even finish the sentence Aimee was already asking, "Do we have a "daddy" too, then?" with a big, bright smile on her face.

Rosette exhaled softly as she watched her daughters' face. "Yes, you do." And the smile only seemed to get brighter after she'd answered.

"So where is he then?" her son asked next.

Ah, the harder question.

Things shouldn't be this hard. It should've just been, "your daddy's at work" but, no. That wasn't the case.

Well, then again, she thought, he probably _is_ at work.

"Well…" what was she supposed to say? She didn't know what to say. She'd known they would ask someday. She just didn't think it would be this soon.

"Well…your daddy is…ah…" She didn't know what to say at all, so she said: "Eat your carrots, and your sandwiches, babies."

She switched the subject.

"But I _hate_ carrots…" the little girl muttered.

The boy nudged her with his elbow."I can eat more carrots than you," he challenged with a carrot halfway to his open mouth. Amie's eyes narrowed.

"Na-uh! I can eat more!" she grabbed at the carrots, too.

Rosette smiled. Behind her smile lurked her darker thoughts.

Thankfully they didn't go on with the subject. But…she would have to tell them something soon. They were already curious. She had to tell them _something_. And she couldn't lie. Oh, how much easier it would be if she could lie to them. But she couldn't. Even though they wouldn't know, they were children. And she was setting an example. So she couldn't lie. But she had to say _something_.

It would be so much easier if she could just say that their daddy had died.

Saying that he had not wanted her, that he hated her, saying _that_ was much, _much_ harder than saying he had simply died.

Rosette heaved a heavy, silent sigh as she looked at her children that were growing up to look so much more like him.

…

Of course, he reasoned with himself, the children could've been fathered by someone else.

But…the man sighed. Probably not. He'd only known Rosette for a little while, but she didn't seem like she would sleep with just _anybody_.

She could've fallen in love with someone else entirely, right?

Of course she could've! It'd been FOUR years, after all! She could've fallen in love, gotten, engaged, married, and had children in that span of time!

…right?

Of course it would've probably been on the news.

Remington sighed.

He was right back where he'd begun.

—One week later, Friday—

He jerked awake as the phone beside his head rang noisily.

With a hesitant hand he answered?

"Hello, is this Ewan Remington?"

He nodded, but then remembered he was speaking to someone on the phone.

"Uh…yeah. Who is this?"

"This is…"

He jerked awake.

"What?!"

…

His phone rang. With an irritated sigh, he reached with languid hands for the cell.

"Chrono Daemon speaking; who is this?" He said into the phone professionally.

"Hello, this is St. John's Hospital…"

"W…what?" He asked in a breathless whisper, not quite believing what he'd heard. "Can you…repeat that?"

"Ah, yes. Sorry, I said..."

No.

"Hello? Mr. Daemon? Mr. Daemon? Are you still there Mr. Daemon?"

"I'll be right there!" He answered quickly as he snapped the phone shut and ran out of the office.

Mary…

…

He laughed softly to himself as he thought back about the happenings.

So…that woman's children were asking about their father, huh?

And the priest-turned-doctor was looking at files on her…

And now Mary…

He brushed back a strand of his long hair.

A _click_ sound echoed through the vast room, followed by the sound of the door being softly pushed open.

"Aion?"

He turned around. Who would come in without knocking?

"Oh, Shader," he greeted as his eyes fell on the older woman. She grinned, albeit weakly, back at him.

"Um…I wanted to talk with you…about that thing. Mary…"

…

His breaths drew in sharply as he looked in through the window at the woman lying beyond the glass in the hospital bed, her body hidden by a ring of people and her face in a relaxed sleep. She was all right.

He sighed, exhaling and taking in another breath to compose himself before reaching for the door knob.

The sound of footsteps stopping behind him hindered his lingering hand.

Then:

"The girl in there…she's not the girl you knew. The one you knew…she's dead."

…

"_Tell me not, in mournful numbers,  
Life is but an empty dream! —  
For the soul is dead that slumbers,  
And things are not what they seem."_  
–A Psalm of Life, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

**--END CHAPTER SIX: AMBIGUITY--**

**

* * *

A/N: Okay! :D How's that? Not too shabby, eh? I hope you liked, because I made you guys wait so long... Anyways, I'll also have you know I'll be changing my name. Yes, I know, AGAIN. :)) But this is what it'll be now, so don't be confused: It's WREI. Yes, all caps. That aside...I hope you like this chapter and please, as always, REVIEW. :) It makes me happy to hear your thoughts. Thanks to those of you who've already reviewed--and to those of you who read, and put this story in your faves or story alerts. I really appreciate it!  
**


	8. Chapter 7: DESCRY

**A/N: Did you really believe I wouldn't post again for a LONG time? :) I _did_ say I would--so here it is! :D And it's pretty long, too. But...yeah, sorry if that annoys you. I just had to--_HAD TO_--add that last part. It's what I've been WAITING to write! XD I hope you like it. :) I can just IMAGINE it. Actually it's one of the scenes I could see very clearly in this story. (I don't want to spoil anything, so I'd better stop.) Anyways, thank you to EVERYONE who's reviewed so far! Enjoy!**

**P.S. In case you don't know how the names are pronounced: **

**Aimee=_ay-mee _(Yes, like AMY)**

**Xavier=_Zae-vee-yer_ (I hope that didn't confuse you...)****  
**

* * *

**--CHAPTER SEVEN: DESCRY—**

"_Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,  
Is our destined end or way;  
But to act, that each tomorrow  
Find us farther than today."_  
--A Psalm of Life, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

…

Their hands were tightly clasped around both of hers as they swung their arms wildly back and forth; on her shoulder was the bag that contained their lunch for the day.

"Mommy?"

She turned to her son as he suddenly stopped in behind her.

"Yeah?"

"Um…daddies…do daddies love mommies, too?"

"Hmm," Rosette gently tugged her hand from his and wrapped it around him, pulling him in tightly against her, "Yeah. I imagine they do, Xavier."

"You imagine?" The little girl beside her asked innocently.

Rosette grinned. "I'm _sure_ that daddies love mommies. Otherwise they wouldn't have babies…" she trailed off. 'Otherwise they wouldn't have babies,' huh? How ironic.

"Mommy," now the little girls' arms were wrapped around her brother, too, as she peered at her mother from between her brother's shoulders, "If daddies love mommies, don't they always want to stay to…together?" she asked, stuttering a little as she tried to recall the word.

"Doesn't Daddy miss us, Mommy?" Xavier asked now.

Rosette worked very hard to keep a smile on her face. It was difficult. But…

"Y-yeah," she replied, "I'm sure he misses us."

"Then why don't he just come see us?!" Aimee suddenly shouted. She turned away, pouting. "Dummy Daddy," she mumbled to herself.

Rosette had to smile at that. Yeah, that was right. Dumb Daddy.

The blonde was hurting inside though to see how much her children wanted to know about their father—how much they wanted to see and know him.

"Why," Rosette wrapped her arms around daughter, too, smiling teasingly. "Aimee Christopher, aren't you happy with your mommy anymore?"

The girl turned quickly around, her long dark curls flying, almost colliding with her brothers' back.

"'Course I'm happy with mommy!" she cried, "And Xavier, too." she added as a bonus, trying to wrap her arms around both her mother and brother.

Of course she couldn't. Rosette almost laughed at the amount of effort she was putting in, trying to wrap her little arms around them. So she bent down and hugged them both tightly to her chest.

"Good," she murmured into the darkness of their curls, "I'm happy with just Xavier and Aimee, too."

"Now," the blonde said as she stood up, again resuming their beginning positions, "How about some lunch?"

…

"W…what?!" He spun on his heels, turning around to look at the person who had just spoken.

"_The girl in there…the girl you knew…she's dead."_

Remington stood there, hair disheveled and looking like he'd just woken up.

"Reming…ton?" he asked questioningly.

"Mary…" the man sighed as he brought a tired hand up to brush away his bangs that had grown too long. "She's…dead. Or at least…the "Mary" you knew is…"

--

_He'd been thinking, they'd been together a long time, yet…she never spoke of her parents or much of her past._

"_Mary?" he asked._

"_Yes?" she answered, her back turned as she hung the uniform up in the closet._

"_Can you…if you're uncomfortable, you don't have to, but—"_

"_You want to ask about my memories?"_

_How'd she know? He wondered to himself._

"_Uh…yeah." he answered weakly._

_She turned around. "It's alright. I wasn't sure when to tell you really…it's a…weird thing, I guess." She laughed softly as she walked towards him._

"_So…um," she sat down beside him, "Let's see…well, a few years ago I woke up in the hospital. Father Remington was standing beside me. He was a friend of our family, he said. But I couldn't remember him at all. Then…these other people came in…"_

_Chrono was looking intently at her as she continued talking._

"_I asked Remington who they were and they looked with horror at me. Of course I couldn't understand why. I didn't even know why I was in the hospital," here she gave a little laugh, "But then they said they were my parents. And I had been in an accident." Her face had gone serious. "That was why I was in the hospital. Apparently, nothing had seemed too serious…but then they discovered I couldn't remember anything about the people around me. You know, it wasn't like…I had forgotten my math skills or how to walk or talk or anything. I just…couldn't—can't—remember anything about where I lived…who I was…who my "family" was…none of that. Of course my parents were shocked. They thought I was faking it at first." The blonde sighed as she bowed her head low. "Doctors said I was fine—maybe I'd remember in a few days or something, you know?" _

_He didn't know, but he didn't say so. He hesitantly took her hand in his. She looked gratefully at him._

"_I didn't. I still can't remember anything. My mom…she resents me. And she cries a lot. She kept repeating that we'd been so close; she couldn't understand how I could forget her. And my dad…he didn't know what to do. He tried really hard to act "normal." He would try and console my mom. And he would smile nervously at me, as if he didn't know who I had turned into. I didn't even know who he was. I tried to be like how they described their daughter, like how they remembered her. You know? But…it was never right. And…I guess, it just got to the point where I couldn't stand it any more. The pressure to be the daughter they remembered."_

_Her voice was wavering and her eyes were turning glossy with tears. Chrono took both her hands in his and squeezed them gently. "You don't have to tell me any more, if it's too hard, Mary." _

"_No, no," she quickly answered, "I should tell it all to you now, or it'll be harder to say next time."_

_Chrono smiled encouragingly then. "Okay. I'm listening."_

_She smiled softly back at him. He always knew what to say, it seemed. _

"_Okay," she took a deep breath. "I knew they didn't know what to do anymore. They didn't know what to do with me. So…I asked…" she hesitated, "I asked my dad if he'd let me go to school somewhere else. In New York City maybe. We were living in California, you see. And…this way, I would definitely…definitely have to stay at a dorm. I knew they wouldn't move. That was the point. My leaving. But—" an almost silent sob interrupted. _

"_But," she continued, burying her face in the folds of her sleeve as she pulled her knees tightly up to her chest, "I'd…wanted them to tell me not to go. Kind of. Or to move with me. Or…to be opposed to the idea, at least. They weren't any of those things. My…dad, he just silently left and got everything prepared. And…on the day I left, they didn't even come to see me off. I mean,"—another choked sob—"I get it. But…I don't know. I guess I was still hoping for something."_

_Chrono wrapped his arms tightly around her, his eyes squeezed shut. "It's okay," he said hurriedly. "I'm sorry I made you tell me, I should've waited until you wanted to talk. I'm sorry. It doesn't matter. Mary is Mary no matter what. And I like you. I love you, Mary."_

"_W…what?" she glanced up at him with teary eyes from behind her sleeves. _

_A blush immediately covered his face._

"_Say it again." Mary was grinning now. Teasingly._

_His ears burned. _

"_C-c'mon, do I really…" he pleaded._

"_You don't have to, but," she turned away and heaved an exaggerated sigh._

"_O-okay." He gave up. "I…I said I love you, Mary."_

_She was grinning at him. "Really?"_

"_Y-yeah. Really."_

_She smiled and leaned in. And pecked him on the lips._

_He looked with surprise at her, his jaw dropping to the floor._

_I love you, too, Chrono._

--

He spun around again, not caring about what the blond said. Mary was not, could not possibly, be dead.

The sound of his racing blood, his racing heart, sounded in his ears.

He pushed through the ring of people and stopped before her.

She lay with her eyes closed. But…

He put a hand over her mouth, her nose. He could feel her breath rushing out. He sighed.

She wasn't dead.

His hand fell to her face, smoothing the bangs from her face.

Her eyes flickered open and she drew in a sharp breath as her eyes locked with his. She was pulling back a little.

"Who…who are you?" she asked in a whisper that seemed to echo around the suddenly too quiet room.

…

"She's not dead?!"

The woman coward a little at his loud voice. He never yelled. And here he was yelling.

"Don't shoot the messenger," she muttered quietly as she brought her hands down from covering her ears.

"Shader," he was looking almost helpless in her eyes. She couldn't help it. She sighed.

Yes, she knew, it might seem wrong to some and others may not be able to understand why, but…she loved him. She understood. He was hurt, too.

He was hurting, too.

"Yeah?" If she didn't understand this, she wouldn't be helping him.

"If…if Mary tells Chrono everything…then…then…"

She grinned.

"It's already taken care of. She doesn't remember anything that happened with Chrono or us."

The man turned quickly around. "You did?!"

"Yep." She chirped.

"You're wonderful, Shader." He gave her a big smile.

That was enough to make her happy.

She grinned back.

…

After the initial hubbub of confusion, he'd found out what happened.

So…she'd forgotten about him—every single thing. How they'd met, what they'd talked about, who he was. She'd forgotten everything about him.

But, on the other hand, her memories of _before_ had returned.

And…he couldn't keep from noticing her different mannerisms; the way she said "mother" and "father" instead of "mom" and "dad" like she'd used to; her more formal sounding, and modest speech. And, of course, her absolute amnesia of who he was or what their relationship had been.

Of course, it might've been better this way.

She deserved someone who would love her more than he had.

It wasn't like he didn't try to, but he couldn't get over his own pain. He couldn't get over the past. He could never love anyone as much as he had before. He couldn't trust as easily, he knew. Because that person he'd thought he could trust…she betrayed him. And the pain of it had burned down into his heart, burned into his mind, into his actions. So the things he did, he knew, were to keep it from happening again.

And he realized all this as he was sitting outside the room, waiting for Remington to come out and explain just what the hell was going on. Because even though he understood…he didn't understand.

He sighed and looked back into the room.

They were all smiling at her now. She smiled softly back.

Forget it.

He got up.

…

"Do you two want some ice cream cones?" she asked. They had eaten at the beach again and were now walking back home.

The kids grinned as they jumped excitedly up and down in exclaiming their affirmation.

"Okay."

They stood in line, waiting. There were a lot of people out today…

"Ah," Rosette said as they finally stood before the man, "Do you want vanilla or chocolate? Or strawberry?"

"Vanilla chocolate!" shouted the little girl, just as her brother shouted, "Chocolate vanilla!"

Rosette grinned.

"Okay, we'll have…"

…

Their mommy was getting ice cream for them.

A vanilla chocolate for her, and a chocolate vanilla for Xavier.

She grinned. She loved ice cream—who wouldn't?

Xavier loved it, too. She could see he couldn't wait to eat it. He was looking up at the man that their mommy was talking to.

Suddenly something caught her eye.

"Xavier," she tugged at her brother's hand, "Xavier, look…"

…

Juggling the three cones in her hand, Rosette turned around. They were gone. She looked at where she could swear they'd _just_ been standing. But they were gone. She scoured the area frantically.

She turned to the person behind her.

"Did you see two kids; curly, dark purple hair?"

The man shook his head as he looked at the hand of his own child.

Oh…oh god. She moved out of the line, scoured the area again. Where were they? Where could they have gone? There were so many people today…so many kids. Oh god, where could they have gone, she thought to herself as she hurried around the area looking for their faces.

"Mommy!" she turned around at the sudden voice.

But it wasn't them. Neither of them.

Worry began to mar her brow—her eyes lowering and scanning the ground. They were so small, they could hide anywhere. They could be hidden just by the throngs of people around her.

Tears were beginning to prick at the back of her eyes as her worry grew.

"Mommy! Mommy!" She turned quickly to look. But it wasn't them.

She was about to turn away again, search the other way. She'd come a ways from the ice cream truck. She couldn't even see it any more. But then it caught her eye.

The dark curls and blue and white of their preschool uniforms.

She ran towards them.

…

Chrono sighed heavily as he leaned against the dark, wrought iron railing. His phone was pulled out and in his hand, against his ear as his grandfather told him it was all right for him to miss the meeting, but to be there the next day. Of course he was going to be there. He wasn't even really listening to his grandfather anymore when he felt the insistent tug on the jacket of his suit.

Wondering just who the hell would disturb him in his horrible mood, Chrono turned around.

And saw no one in front of him.

With an irritated growl he was about to turn back when he felt that annoying tug on his jacket again.

"What do you—" he stopped dead.

"You have the same hair as us." The child chirped.

…

There are a flock of doves on the ground, scourging for crumbs and cooing softly to each other when Rosette comes to where she'd seen her children headed.

There they were.

"Aimee!" she yells. "Xavier!"

And the flock of doves fly away in their misinterpretation that she is a danger.

The children turn to look back at her, big smiles on their faces.

"Look, Mommy," her daughter says through the falling feathers left by the flyaway doves, "This man has the same hair as us."

**--END CHAPTER SEVEN: DESCRY--**

**

* * *

A/N: WOOT! XD There it is! ...*sigh* :) Anyways, how was that? /:) Yep. This story is _definitely_ moving along a lot faster than BCS. It's going to be less chapters, too. Or at least I'm _trying_ to make it in less chapters. I hope that's not killing the quality. Do you think I'm a little slacking on the quality? I am trying very hard to make sure it's still my best. I'm going to need to finish it soon though, so... :) Okay, enough rambling on. Please Review! I'd like it very much if you did. :D (Actually, I'm just happy you guys are even READING it.) :)  
**


	9. Chapter 8: DIBILITATE

**A/N: Hey! New chapter for you guys! XD ...n.n' I hope it's alright though. I was here all afternoon finishing this up. :) I've already started on the next chapter--maybe that'll be up during the weekend. :D Okay, here it is, guys! Enjoy!**

* * *

**--CHAPTER EIGHT: DEBILITATE--**

"Look, Mommy. This man has the same hair as us."

He looked up to where the little girl that had a hold of his jacket was looking.

And saw _her_ standing in the wake of the falling feathers, her face surprised and…he didn't want to admit, sad, and hurt, too. The cones of ice cream she'd been carrying had dropped to splatter all over the ground, it seemed. His heart skipped a beat. His eyes fell quickly to the children before him. He noted their dark…purple hair, their lovely pale complexions, their different colored eyes. One blue. One red.

He reached out a hand to touch the dark curls of the little girl who had his jacket in her hand.

"Aimee! Xavier! Come here!" His hand stopped. He looked up. Rosette was looking at them with large, fearful, panicked eyes. Her lips were quivering; her voice had sounded strained to the point of breaking.

He looked at her, then back to the children. The little boy and little girl who had to be no more than three years old, with their long, violet, curls and their long, thick, dark lashes.

…

Aimee's hand dropped from the man's coat at her mother's yell. Her mother never yelled unless they were doing something she thought was really dangerous. She looked at the tall man before her who had caught her eye because of his unusual purple hair. Like theirs; except his was just to his shoulders and straight, not long and curly like hers and Xaviers.

Xavier looked at her. 'We should go to Mommy.' His eyes said. She agreed, and so, with a nod and her hand in his, Xavier led the run back to their mommy, their feet _tap-tap-tapping_ on the concrete underneath.

…

With confused, delayed steps he started to follow the children—to Rosette, it seemed.

But her scorching look made him stop dead. Yes, she still looked like she'd seen a ghost—but, hell, she looked like she'd kill that ghost, again, if it got any closer to her. And him being the ghost, in her eyes, and really not yet dead, nor wanting to die, he stopped.

She kneeled before the children that had run to her, her hands roaming over their arms and faces in a motherly way; worry etched in her face as she asked them something in quiet whispers he could not hear. He watched her, all her beauty still intact, along with her anger and worry and all those other things Chrono did not want to see. Chrono had not wanted to see her ever again. Right?

…

"Are—are you alright?" Rosette whispered with quiet worry to the twins before her. She felt their arms, her hand gently searching for something broken. Her hands came up to touch first the little girl's face, cupping her cheeks and brushing aside the bangs on her head, kissing her forehead. Then she looked at the little boy standing beside his sister, looking at her with worry. And scared that they had done something wrong.

She smoothed his hair gently back. Brushed his bangs aside and kissed his forehead also.

"Oh, it's alright." She whispered calmly. "It's alright. Just never, never,_ ever _do this again, you hear?"

She looked fervently at the two. "Never, _ever_ again. Okay?" She sighed, pulling them both in for a tight embrace. "Do you know how worried I was when I turned around and didn't see you?"

"I-I'm sorry, Mommy!" The little girl broke into tears. "It was my fault, not Xavier's! I-I saw the man and followed him and made Xavier come with me!"

She nodded. "It's all right, baby." She whispered, "It's alright. I just…don't ever want to see you two get hurt. I was so worried. I thought someone had taken you away, you know?"

"It's alright." The little boy was sobbing now, too.

"Don't be mad at Aimee." He was crying. "I wanted to see him, too. I'm sorry, Mommy!"

"Shh…" she whispered softly into their small, weeping forms. "It's okay, now. I'm not mad. I promise. I'm not mad at you at all. Shh…"

That was when she heard the sound of footfalls coming their way and she looked up.

…

Xavier was wiping his damp eyes by the time he saw that their mommy was in front of them. She was standing in front of them, her shadow hiding them. It was funny, he felt so safe here. And he looked over at Aimee. She was still sniffling. He brought his hands up and wiped her eyes and nose.

"Shh," he whispered, just like his mommy had. She looked at him and offered an 'I'm sorry' smile.

He smiled back. "It's okay," he whispered, just like his mommy had, too.

But now…as he turned his face upwards to look at his mother, he stopped.

He'd never seen her like this. Shaken and panicked, and…like she was going to start crying, too.

He looked at where she was looking. That man. His eyes lowered into an angry glare. He tugged on Aimme's sleeve as she used it to wipe at her nose.

"Look," he said as he looked at their mother, then at the man who was now coming closer. And their mother…she seemed even more scared.

Aimee looked. She'd never seen her mother looked scared either. She'd never even entertained the notion that their mother _could_ be scared. Aimee looked at Xavier. He was just as worried as she was, it seemed. And so she grew more worried. Xavier looked angry, too.

Xavier was glaring at the man who was approaching with slow steps. The man who had the same hair as them.

He wasn't stopping though.

He just kept coming closer. And their mother seemed to be taking a small step back.

As if she were a rabbit before a hungry wolf.

He grew angrier at the stranger. Look at what that stranger was doing to his mommy!

He looked at Aimee as she looked at him.

…

The children seemed to step from nowhere to the front of the blonde. As if shielding her.

Their roles reversed.

Chrono stopped, surprised, as he looked down at the little kids.

They were _glaring_ at him. Death daggers, if possible. From two _little kids_. No more than three years old!

Their hands were joined and the little boy especially was glaring at him. It was unnerving in a way, to see that look from a child. And with two different eyes looking at him. Two pairs of different eyes looking at him. One was as blue as Rosettes' the other a deep red-maroon. Like…

"Go away," the boy said.

"Yeah," the girl added.

He stopped. It was funny how threatening these toddlers sounded. Could toddlers even sound threatening?

The blonde looked down as if this were the first time she'd noticed that they were there.

Relief flooded her face as a small smile made its way to her lips.

She grabbed their small hands in hers and, saying, "Don't worry. They're not yours." She strode away with no more than a glance at him.

His heart stopped.

…

She was bent over, her hands on her knees, as she tried to draw in more breath. As soon as she had rounded that corner, she had run. Run to get as far as possible from him. She wasn't scared. She knew that much. Just…it was seeing Chrono again. It made her feel…weak, somehow.

And that worried her.

The two on either side of her were looking at her worriedly. She turned a sideways grin towards them.

"Mommy's okay…Mommy's okay," she said gently, catching her breath.

Xavier's hand was holding tightly to her jacket, as if to let go, she might fly away with the wind and never be seen again. Aimee's hand grasped her jacket as well, holding just as tightly, if not more.

"Are…are you sure, Mommy?" she asked quietly.

Rosette grinned, straitening up and cheerfully looking back down at them. "Yep. I'm alright. Just…needed a little exercise."

"Oh…okay." The little girl answered, smiling weakly up at her. Xavier clung tightly to her, not saying as word as he watched.

"Really," she bent before them and pulled them into the sanctuary of her arms, "It's all right. Don't worry."

But she was worried.

"Ah, that reminds me," she said, getting to her feet again, "Why don't we go back home. You can help me make some cookies. Okay?"

They brightened at the thought of cookies. Rosette relaxed. Thank god it was so easy to get their minds away from the same worry that was gnawing at her mind.

…

He was there a long time. Frozen in a paralysis, staring at the place where they had been; at the place where Rosette had been.

When he finally did move, he moved in a daze, exiting the park and catching a taxi to that flat that he hardly lived in, and paying extra to the very astonished taxi driver.

Entering the elevator and getting off on the top floor, his "home" of sorts, he fumbled the key through the lock and opened his door.

Stepping inside, his eyes glazed over the extravagance of the whole place. The artworks hung on the walls and over the mantel; the expensive vases and cabinets, tables and chairs; the crystal chandelier overhead; the lush carpet underfoot and the plush couches around the living area. His eyes glazed over it all, blind to the lavishness around him.

Without taking his shoes off, he slipped from room to room, finally finding himself in the master bedroom. Not taking off shoes or coat, he fell onto the king sized bed. The silken sheets and embroidered pillows gathered in wrinkled bunches around his prone figure as he lay there on his back, staring, unseeingly, at his ceiling.

His eyes finally closed and he fell into unconsciousness, dreaming of blondes just out of his grasp and little faces—different colored eyes ringed by dark lashes, long tresses framing their faces—angelic as any of Botticelli's paintings. But as he reached for them, yelled and screamed for them to wait, she turned to him with tear stained eyes, begging as he was, to hear her out. Rosette.

And in the melee of this dream he reached out…

But could grasp no one.

Because in his rush, he had pushed them all away.

…

Someone was at the door.

_BANG_

_BANG_

There they were pounding at it again. He didn't want to get up. He never wanted to rise again. Let me die in peace and quiet, he thought to himself. Just let me die.

Of course that was not going to happen any time soon.

"Chrono, my boy!"

Of course, his grandfather.

"What the hell are you doing, boy?!" the old man just kept shouting.

"In the name of Xavier Antony Daemon, GET THE HELL UP!"

He shot up. Xavier…Xavier…the name.

Scrambling to his feet and caring little for his bedridden appearance, he hurried to the door.

Just as a knock was about to sound again he swung the door open, surprising the old man on the other side of the door.

Then a grin spread across the old mans' face. "You're—"

Before more could even get out of his mouth though, Chrono had already grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and pushed him into the opposite wall, a look of rage and torment as evident as the tear streaks down his face and his mussed up hair.

"You knew didn't you?" he growled into the old man's face. "You knew and for four years—FOUR YEARS—you didn't tell me?!"

The old man looked confused a moment, then a look of realization slowly crossed his face, his features growing into slight guilt and sorrow.

"Chrono…" he murmured softly.

"You…!" Chrono let go of the fabric that he'd been holding so tightly in his hands, snapping around.

"Chrono…is this about…" his grandfather trailed off.

This only infuriated the young man further. He spun quickly around to face the old man again, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and, not very gently, dragged him into the room, pushing him towards one of the plush couches set before the fireplace.

"Yes, this is about Rosette—about the two children with her!" he shouted into the old man's face as he sat down, looking at the old man and then pointedly at the couch directly opposite him.

Sighing, his grandfather sat down in the plush couch, his hands clasping before him.

"You don't understand, Chrono," he said.

"What don't I understand?!" he yelled. He couldn't help it. He knew he shouldn't be, but he was.

Breathing in deeply to try and calm himself, he clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palms and forming little crescents in his skin, his short, shoulder-length hair falling to cover his face. He was shaking and his teeth he'd clenched tightly, to the point where he was sure he might just break them.

"What…don't I understand?" he asked again, his voice quiet as a whisper on a distant wind, almost seeming broken. "Tell me…what don't I understand?"

Xavier Antony Daemon looked warily at his grandson. He really DID have anger issues, that boy…

"Chrono, my boy," he whispered just as softly, "You can't even _begin_ to comprehend how much that girl did for you—how much Rosette Christopher did for you…"

…

"_Life is real! Life is earnest!  
And the grave is not its goal;  
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,  
Was not spoken of the soul."_  
--A Psalm of Life, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

**--END CHAPTER EIGHT: DIBILITATE--**

**

* * *

A/N: Yep. :) How was that then? Also thank you so much for all the input on the last chapter--I was so VERY happy to hear from all of you! Thank you for all the kind comments on the names--I have to say though; I had help with it. I could NEVER have decided on the names without the help of a specific somebody. ;) Pss...that's poshpuppy27, for you. Yes, so a LOT of thanks go to her for the big help. Just as I am bad at picking presents...I'm also very bad at deciding names. Oh, and before I forget: I hope you all got that Chrono's grandfather's name is Xavier Antony Daemon. I'm afraid I might've confused some of you on that... ANYWAYS, don't forget :D REVIEW! Tell me your thoughts! (I love hearing from you guys!)  
**


	10. Chapter 9: HITHERTO

**A/N: Okay! Here's the next chapter--a little late, but I did ONLY say _maybe_. :D Also, if you REALLY want to know what the chapter titles mean...LOOK IT UP! There's a dictionary for a reason. :D (And, yes, _hitherto _is an actual word.) Yep. Hope this chapter's not _too _disappointing. Enjoy!**

* * *

**--CHAPTER NINE: HITHERTO-- **

"_Are is long, and Time is fleeting,  
And our hearts, though stout and brave,  
Still, like muffled drums, are beating  
Funeral marches to the grave."_  
--A Psalm of Life, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

…

"A—ah! Shoot!"

She flipped the bacon quickly from the pan onto the awaiting plate, clumsy cracking the eggs and trying not to get any shells into the frying pan. She turned to look at the two kids sitting at the table and seemingly watching with fascination at her dance.

She grinned at them.

"Breakfast is ALMOST ready!"

They grinned as the eggs crackled on the hot pan and thought about how funny it was that their mother could bake such yummy cakes and cookies, but when it came to cooking…it was a totally different result.

"Mommy?" the boy asked.

"Yeah," Rosette replied, turned back to the stove and concentrating on _not_ burning the eggs.

The little boy turned to his sister.

"Mommy, why can't you make your breakfasts as yummy as you make the cakes and cookies?" the little girl asked.

Rosette paused at the stove, muttering the answer quietly to herself.

They almost hadn't heard it when she'd said, "Well…he was always the one making the _actual_ food…"

And they wondered who that was.

Who was _He?_

…

"That boy…who was he?"

Remington looked at her. As she watched him turn away, his face a bit of sadness, she wondered who he _really_ was…and how important _was_ he? How had she known him? That boy—no, that man.

Remington turned back, a soft smile on his lips.

"You mean the boy with the violet hair?"

"Y…yes," she answered, hesitant now.

"Him…he was," Ewan paused, considering if he should really tell her, "He is…someone you need to talk to when you're ready…" he finally answered vaguely.

"Ah…Is that so…" she replied just as vaguely.

"Yeah. He was…important." The man trailed off again and Mary sighed silently to herself. It seemed she would get no straight answers.

The doctor rose slowly to his feet, exhaling a tired sigh. "Well…" he looked at her. "I'll be right outside. Your parents are coming soon, they left you some clothes…so you can change if you want."

She smiled and nodded.

"Thank you."

…

The blond doctor exhaled another long tired sigh as he seated himself in the chair outside her hospital room.

He hadn't thought things could get any _more_…knotted—any more twisted.

And, apparently, he'd thought wrong because everything was even _worse_ than before. If that had even been possible…

He hadn't thought so, but now it seemed so.

First off, he'd found out Rosette had twins.

And then that they were three years old.

And _then_ he gets a call from the hospital about Mary being in a car accident.

And, of course, on top of _that_, to find out that Mary had lost all memory of Chrono.

And that she remembered her past of years ago, before that first stroke of amnesia.

He sighed, heavily resting his head on his clamped together hands.

…

Rosette sighed, pushing back a long strand of her blonde hair as she watched them enter the classroom, smiling as they glanced back once more at her before disappearing altogether behind the doors where the sounds of children came from. Her thoughts lingered off as she continued to watch the door.

She dreamed of him again. And it was still so hard to say his name. So why had it been so easy to call out his name in her dreams? To let the two syllables fall so easily from her lips, and let it feel so right? She'd once again awakened with tears. And she hated to think she was so weak and still…missed him. It must have been the shock, she told herself, it was the incredible shock of seeing him so suddenly again. That was it. She sighed.

There were some voices, a deep laugh, from behind her and, startling of her daze, she turned to meet the eyes of a man with deep red hair as he set a little boy with hair just as red down. As his eyes met hers he smiled.

She smiled back as she watched him lean down and give his son a kiss on the forehead before pushing him towards the door. The little boy glanced back once more at them before entered the room, and, faintly, she heard his voice call out for her children's names. She watched with surprise as he disappeared into the room.

"That's Ariel," the man from behind her said, facing in the general direction of the classroom. "I'm Gabriel."

She turned back around. "Oh," the blonde smiled back, "You must be the daddy."

The redhead smiled awkwardly at her. "The…daddy?"

Rosette laughed. "Xavier and Aimee told me they'd seen Ariel's daddy."

He smiled. "Yep. That's me. Wait…that must mean…you're _the_ Aimee and Xavier's mommy?"

Rosette laughed at how he'd made it sound. "Now what did they say about me?"

The redhead grinned cheekily, a dimple appearing on his cheek.

"Oh…only that you make the most delicious cookies and cakes."

…

"You can't even _begin_ to comprehend the things that girl did for you—how much Rosette Christopher did for you…"

The old man's hands were clamped in front of his bent shoulders as he looked from under his now-messy hair; long, gray bangs falling away from their combed back appearance and falling into his face as he stared seriously into the eyes of his grandson.

"Then…then tell me already!" Chrono shouted now.

Really! What didn't he understand, he questioned himself in anger. What _could_ he understand when _everyone_ was trying to hide _everything?!_

The old man looked away abruptly, out into the cityscape beyond the glass of the windows.

"How do you even know those two kids with her were yours?" his grandfather asked.

How? "Oh, perhaps…the hair color! Their eyes! Those most obvious things that you see when you just _look_ at them!" The old man smiled slightly to himself as he listened to his grandson continue ranting. "You _do_ know—you _KNOW_—that having this hair color,"—the younger man pulled at his own hair—"Purple! Violet! Whatever! It is _NOT_ common! Even _you_ know it is not common! And just look at them! All you would have to do is _LOOK AT THEM_ to know that they're mine!" The grandfather continued smiling with that almost hidden amusement. It sounded just like his aggravated grandchild was trying to convince himself.

Chrono stopped suddenly in his rant, his eyes turning accusingly to the old man as his cheeks dusted with pink.

"What are you smiling about?" He asked. He knew…yes, Chrono knew. And he was embarrassed. His grandfather, sitting over there smugly on that couch, on the other hand, was quite amused. He could see it clearly in that smile that the old man was NOT doing a very good job of hiding.

And the old man had the nerve to GRIN! He was GRINNING at him! Chrono was now more embarrassed than he cared to admit.

"A-anyways," he continued on, softly now. "What were you saying before?"

He turned to look seriously at the old man, his grandfather. "Don't try to change the subject again. I won't fall for it twice."

And his grandfather sighed a heavy sigh.

"Oh, all right, boy," he finally answered as he sagged back into the plush cushions on the couch.

Chrono looked on at the old man. He'd never seemed so old as now. Taking pity, Chrono got up.

"I'll make us some tea."

The old man didn't turn to see him leave.

Putting the teapot on the stove with water, Chrono looked up in the cabinets for the packets of tea.

The water boiling behind him, he pulled two cups from the cupboard and set them on the counter. Then, setting the bags of tea into the bottom of the cups, he poured in the steaming water and let it sit a moment before grabbing hold of both cups and heading back into the living room where his grandfather was.

Upon entering the room he could absolutely _feel_ the tensioned aura of the place—emanating from his grandfather, of course.

He sighed silently. Was he really going to get any answers from that man?

"Grandfather," he called as he came up beside the man.

The older man looked up. "Ah, yes, the tea. Thank you." And he took the offered cup from the younger man's hands.

Chrono replied with, "Now, what we were talking about earlier…"

"Yes, that…" the old man set his tea down onto the table that lay between them. "That…"

He seemed to give another heavy sigh. "Chrono…Chrono…" fingers were pressed insistently into his temples, as though that would dig out whatever painful thoughts he was having. "Oh…Chrono, you'll never know what how much she did for you…even I don't know how much she did for you…she didn't even tell me how she'd met you…for all I know," the old man laughed now and reached for the cup of tea before him, "For all I know, she could've been the person that robbed you. Though I highly doubt that." A smile played softly on his lips.

Chrono continued listening, silently.

"But," he took a sip from the cup in his hands, setting it down again afterwards, "Do you know…that day I found you…do you know how it was that I found you, Chrono, my boy?"

Chrono, his violet bangs pushed behind his ears, shook his head in silent answer. No, he didn't know why. But…he'd never wondered. That old man, he had so many resources…

"It was her, Chrono. Did you know that? She probably never told you that."

There was only room for a sharp gasp from Chrono before his grandfather continued.

"She called me up—I don't know how she'd gotten my number—but she'd called me up this one…late New Year's Eve. It was _years_ ago now, it seems. Years ago… My secretary was frantic. This caller kept telling her they needed to talk to her—and they wouldn't hang up. They wouldn't just let her take a message. And every time the secretary hung up—she got a call _again_ from that same person. She very well couldn't give the phone over to someone else. So she'd finally given up and just given the phone to me. That secretary," the old man laughed softly now, remembering, "She apologized _profusely_. Just over and over again. Then, finally, she just let the caller talk to me. And how do you think it was?" The man was looking at him, as if waiting for an answer but not really expecting it.

"Ro—" Before he could even finish the name though, the old man had gone on.

"Rosette. Right. It was her. You see, I wasn't even in the states at the time. I was…oh, far, far away. In the mountains of Nepal. And do you know the first thing she said." His grandfather was looking at him with expectant red eyes. He shook his head. "She said, 'You are old man Daemon, right?!'" the old man was laughing now, heartily. "I was so shocked, boy I was shocked! I thought it might be some lunatic, but then she said, 'Your daughter…was she Clarabelle Daemon?' I was silent at that point. Do you know why your mother's brothers and sisters hid you? Why everyone hid you?"

Chrono didn't know. He hadn't cared to know before. And so he shook his head.

"Your mother…I loved her so much. You know…your mother, they said I just favored her. They were all jealous, they hated her because I loved her so much. But your mother was so kind-hearted, so generous. She wasn't greedy like they were. They were my kids and I loved them all—but they only thought for themselves. I could see that in them. I can still see it in them. But your mother was different. She was such a good child. So good and considerate and sweet. And…somehow she fell in love with _that man!"_ The old man spat out the words like he was speaking of the scum of the earth. "He was married! And he didn't even _care_ about your mother! She was a pretty little thing, your mother; petite, but pretty, with dark curls that reached down her back. But _that man_," again he spat out the words like they were disgusting filth he'd rather have not mentioned at all—and he probably really didn't want to, but he was. "He was playing with her. It was so clear to us—to me. But she was so blindly in love with _that man!_ She couldn't even see he didn't care. And when I tried to tell her…" the old man's voice softened, his head lowering with his remembered pain, "When I tried to tell her—I should've known better—she ran away, angry at me. I…I didn't know she had been pregnant.

"I didn't know where she had gone to. Oh, I was young then, and such a fool! I didn't go look for her—I was angry that she had been angry at me. I let my pride get in the way. I told myself…I would wait for her to come back to me. I would wait for her to come back. She wouldn't even need to apologize. I would take her back in. I would…I would definitely—" the man's voice cracked as a solitary tear burned its way down his slowly wrinkling cheek, "Definitely take her back. I would find her a…a good man, I promised.

"But years," the man was talking softly now, his voice just above a whisper, his tea sat untouched. "Years, and years passed…and there was no news of her. She didn't come back. She didn't write me a single letter. Not a…phone call to tell me how she was. And I…being the fool that I was then. I sat with my pride and waited. I waited and waited and waited. I had been so sure…so sure that she would come back to me and call me daddy again," He smiled now, a soft, painful smile. "Just like she used, with a big, welcome smile on her face.

"Of course," he continued now, slowly gaining his composure, "She never would. By the time I'd learned of her death…she had already been dead a whole year and a half. And I was never told of you. Everyone kept silent about you. They were afraid that because I'd loved Clarabelle so much…that I would, in turn, favor you just as much." The man smiled teasingly at him now. "And of course I do love you very much, too, Chrono. And not just because you're my beloved daughters' only child."

Chrono smiled appreciatively back.

"But, back to the point," the old man was just staring at the cup of tea in his hands now. "Rosette called me and asked me that. Asked me if my daughter was Clarabelle. I wanted to laugh. I wanted cry. I hadn't heard your mother's name in so long. And now, to hear it spoken by a stranger… But, her next words truly sent me into a shock," the old man laughed a little. "I'm sure I might've even had a heart attack. She said, Rosette said, 'You have a grandson then. Chrono Daemon. He's here, in New York City.' Then she said she hoped I would come see him. That is, you, Chrono.

"And," the old man was looking at him with a certain gladness in his eyes Chrono never actually understood before but understood now. "I just knew it had to be true. Your name, she'd heard a story once, somewhere, when we were in San Francisco—she'd gotten so excited about it, she told me the whole story. The main character's name, it was Chrono. She'd told me, absolutely, that she loved that name. That…when she had a baby boy, she would name him 'Chrono' too," his grandfather looked at him with amusement. "Of course I never thought she would actually do it. But…here you are. Chrono."

Chrono remembered that story. It had bothered him a little the first time he'd heard that he'd gotten his name from a demon; that his mother had named him after a demon. But…after hearing the story again, and thinking it over, he'd come to accept—and almost _like_—his name. Of course he was fine with it now; he'd lived with it for some twenty-odd years.

"You know the story, Chrono?" his grandfather asked. He nodded.

"A demon, a nun, contracts, guns, and love…" the old man laughed, "How fanciful that sounded to me. But she absolutely loved that story. Never told me where she'd heard it though…"

Chrono nodded. His mother had indeed loved that story, just telling it to him, she was smiling so happily. And…when she'd called his name before she'd died, she'd smiled just as happily at him. His name had meant so much to her.

"And," the old man had his hands clasped together, his elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward, "Here we are."

**--END CHAPTER NINE: HITHERTO--**

**

* * *

A/N: Okay. :) How was that? Not too bad, I hope. I'll try to post another chapter by Wednesday, then maybe Friday and the weekend and wrap it up around then. Though I don't quite know if I can make that happen, as of yet. But...that's what I want. I don't want this to feel TOO rushed though, so tell me if it seems to be getting...sloppy. Um...yes. That's about it. Nothing else much. But...REVIEW please! :) I do love reading them--espeacially the constructie critisism. (No offense here, but all your kind words might be giving me a big head. lol Seriously!)  
**


	11. Chapter 10: UNCHANGING

**A/N: Okay, next chapter--kept you guys waiting again, didn't I? n.n; Sorry. Good news: next chapter should be up shortly--very shortly! Maybe even tomorrow or this evening! Good news, right? :D Okay, Enjoy! **

* * *

**--CHAPTER TEN: UNCHANGING—**

The old man had left what seemed like _hours_ ago.

Leaving just after he'd told Chrono that it had been Rosette who'd contacted him—who'd first told him Chrono even _existed._

It was Rosette who'd prompted Xavier Antony Daemon to come and look for him—to come find him.

It was because of Rosette Christopher Harvenheit that he was even where he stood—that is, in this plush apartment on the top floor, with expensive suits in his closet, his Princeton education and title as Vice President of the _biggest_ banking company.

He grimaced.

She'd done _so much more_ for him, than, he felt, he could _ever_ do for her. So much more than he ever _did_ for her.

Hell! He'd kicked her out! Screamed and—

No. He argued with himself. There were totally legit reasons for that.

Rosette had cheated on him—had betrayed him. And with a _younger_ guy, no less! So…so who was to say she didn't deserve what he did. Who was to say…he was not right.

He wasn't.

He'd jumped.

Jumped to conclusions—didn't even try to find out how true the things were—didn't even ask Mary where she'd gotten those pictures. He'd never even talked to that Jonathon Smite—that person who Rosette had lain with in the picture.

It was just that one picture that had broken them up.

No, he sighed, it was _him_ that had broken them up.

And now he remembered.

That day, when he'd started yelling at her…

His shoulders were bent over, as if sagging from a particularly heavy burden. His arms rest, fingers entwined, on his thighs.

He hadn't seen it, didn't see then what he saw now as he remembered.

That confusion on her face.

The desperation.

"_Wait, Chrono—stop! What are you doing?!"_

But he'd only looked coldly at her, so coldly, and told her to get out.

"_Chrono….I love you,"_ she'd said.

He'd known—oh, he knew—he knew how hard it was for her to say those words. She'd depended on her actions always to show him that she loved him.

She had been crying. And…he'd said he hated her.

She had been crying.

Rosette Christopher…she didn't cry, but she had then.

And he'd said..._"I hate you, Rosette Christopher."_

His head dropped. The palms of his hands pressing tightly against his eyes as the tears started. He'd been stupid. He…he'd forgotten everything in his dumb anger.

Oh, god, he whispered desperately to himself over and over again. As if that super natural being would arise from his heavenly throne and come to earth _just_ to console him.

Chrono cried, heavy sobs breaking from his throat as his shoulders shook. He thought, over and over again, of how desperately, how insistently, Rosette had tried to stay. And how hard he'd pushed her away—in his own stupidity, in his ignorance, he'd pushed her away.

Finally, with a deep breath, his eyes swollen red and his face still damp, he opened his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?" he asked, and when they picked up, "Yes, I would like you to…watch someone for me. Yes. Pictures, too—make sure you take pictures."

With a name uttered to the people on the other line, he hung up.

Guilt hung heavy in his chest as he started for the bathroom, for a shower. Guilt and desperation.

…

The blonde pushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she handed the little box to the man.

"I hope your wife likes them—you said she was craving chocolate peanut butter cookies, right?" Rosette grinned.

"Yeah," the man smiled at her, "Thanks. I know she'll love these!"

Rosette couldn't help but smile, Gabriel was so caring and energetic.

"Okay then," she said as they crossed the shop to the door, "You're welcome to come back."

The man was grinning like crazy. "I'm coming back for sure—next time I'll definitely bring Mariel!"

Gabriel turned and waved at her once more—with a grin, by the way—before turning around and seemingly _skipping_ down the street.

The blonde at the door almost wanted to laugh as she turned back into her store.

It was quiet right now.

She hated this sometimes. When it was too quiet, like now, it seemed her thoughts shouted to the room and echoed back at her—the things she'd rather not think about, sounding loudly all around her. And she didn't like waiting.

No, she definitely didn't like waiting. Sometimes she hated it so much, this quiet and waiting, that she would get out of the shop and sit in one of the tables, under the awning, outside. She would sit there. And she didn't know if that was any better, but, at least here, it didn't seem like her thoughts kept bouncing back louder than before.

Especially those thoughts of Chrono and how much alike her children were to him and how much she mi—

She stopped. In the quiet, her thoughts had come to haunt her again.

Those stupid memories of and thoughts of _him_.

Well, she shouted to herself, she was doing _just fine_ without him! She'd been doing just fine since she'd left him!

With a sigh, she dropped down into one the chairs—but then immediately got up.

She had things to do.

Things to take care of.

She couldn't sit here and wallow in thoughts of _him_ forever.

That would do nothing.

…

Chrono stood before his mirror, his hair blown dry, in one of his expensive suits, jacket open and no tie on. His eyes were still red-rimmed, which gave him a strange look, considering his irises were red, too. He sighed and slipped on a pair of dark sunglasses before heading for the door, deciding on taking a cab.

As he rode down the elevator, walked out the glass door, and waved for the taxi to pull over, he thought about why everyone had concealed everything; why he was never told a thing. And…he thought about what he'd say to…

…

Rosette smiled at all the customers as they bustled in and out.

She baked and she talked and she brewed the coffees to keep her self busy—to keep her mind occupied.

And, finally, it was near noon and she couldn't have been more happy for it.

Sometimes the hours seemed to last too long, and at other times the minutes passed far too quickly.

She sighed happily as she washed her hands, took off the ruffled apron and hung it up, and prepared the twins' lunches.

…

There was a knock at the door, and Satella, who wasn't usually home at this hour of the day, wondered who it could be. She heard one of the maids go to the front and open the door. She sauntered down to see who it could be.

She wasn't usually home at this hour during the day, but today had been an exception.

As a maid bustled up to meet her halfway down the steps, before she could even ask who it was, the girl was already whispering quickly, "Ms. Satella, it is Mr. Daemon—Mr. Chrono Daemon from the big banking company—he's come to see you, Ms. Satella."

The redhead's face soured at the name as she followed the maid who had turned back around and was hurrying before her down the stairway.

She saw him before he even saw her, his back turned to look at a painting hung in the hall where he was waiting.

"Chrono, eh?" she called out in greeting, a slight sneer on her face. "So, is there a reason why you've decided to grace us with your holy presence?" she said in a sardonic voice.

She really couldn't help it.

Not after everything…everything he'd put Rosette through—though he'd never know.

"A-ah, Satella," he turned to face her now, and she could see he had sun glasses on. "Sorry," he apologized, "To come at such a time. But I wanted to talk."

She gave him a terse nod and indicated for him to follow as she led him to a room, right beside a room she had designated as the _private_ living room, for her and her family only; that was the _public_ living room, the entertaining area—a room without pictures of Rosette or the kids. Rosette would be hell if she found out the redhead was the one who Chrono had found out everything.

She sighed silently to herself.

"Sit down," she said as civilly as she could now, her initial shock and anger wearing off a little. Because no matter what, she still had to be civil—she dealt in the business world, after all. She had to make deals—it almost seemed political at time.

The redhead gave another inner sigh at the thought as she called for the maid who had entered the room to please make two cups of tea for them.

They sat in silence until the young woman returned with a tray, two cups of tea sitting atop the silver, little wisps of white steam rising from the china cups filled with liquid.

Satella waited until the young man had taken a sip of his drink before asking, "So what did you want to talk about, Mr. Daemon?"

Chrono looked at her, but she could not see his eyes behind the dark glasses.

"I—" before he even started, he was cut off as a maid rushed in, frantic.

"Ms. Satella, Ms. Satella!" the young maid shouted, "Ms. Florette is on the phone—she said Mr. Steiner is in the hospital and she wants to talk to you!"

And with a stricken face, the redhead hurriedly got up. Before leaving the room though, she turned back to the young man still sitting on the couch in surprise and said sternly, "I hope you don't mind waiting here a minute, I'll be just a second."

And she left, hurrying for the phone.

…

Chrono sat and watched with a little worry as the redhead got up. Rosette's sister.

He remembered when he'd insisted on coming with Rosette, in high school. How he'd cared and loved her. How he'd understood her then.

And yet…what had changed so much in the years they were apart?

An unknown part of him ached—his heart, it seemed.

It ached with the pain of knowing he'd caused her pain—or knowing he'd _intentionally_ caused her pain.

He got up as he heard the redhead's hurried footsteps disappear down the hall and scanned the room.

If Satella had known…and he was sure she'd known, then there must be pictures. There must be _something_. Joshua was a photographer now, he knew. And quite a famous one, at that. And…now he realized, Azmaria…Azzy…he hadn't seen her in so long.

Of course she'd called, she even wrote him e-mails and letters sometimes. But he hadn't seen her in…such a long time.

And he'd now just realized it with abruptness.

He scanned the room, looked at the books on the shelves.

Nothing.

No pictures of anyone in particular on the walls, or on the tables, no family photo albums on the shelves.

Then it hit him like a sack of bricks.

Satella must have brought him to a public room—one which would hold nothing of great intimacy to her. And he almost growled in anger.

He was in a room where she entertained strangers and people of the media, and she'd called him "Mr. Daemon" not like she used to. But that…he sighed. 'I guess I can understand why,' he thought again as he headed for the door.

Out in the hallway, just as he was about to turn back towards the door to leave, the maid—the one who'd come in earlier with the news of Steiner, their old butler—came out of a door beside him, and, as she was closing the door, he caught sight of something.

A picture of Satella and Florette…and Rosette between them.

He headed towards the room.

But just as his hand reached for the doorknob, the girl quickly knocked his hand away and stood before the door, a look of frantic panic on her face.

"Y-you can't go in here, Mr. Daemon," she stuttered, her voice shaking. "Ms. Satella does not allow visitors into this room."

"All…right," he answered as he turned back towards the room he'd come from. "I was…just looking for the bathroom, if you'd excuse me." He laughed slightly, to make it seem as though he were embarrassed.

The girl grinned with visible relief.

"It's right down there, sir, down the way we came."

He nodded in thanks as he turned around and started walking in the appointed direction.

As soon as he heard her footsteps disappear down the hallway, he turned quickly around and, with a quick glance down the way he had been pretending to go, he bolt back down the hall, towards the door that the maid had said was off limits to guests. Well, to hell with that, he thought. He wanted some answers.

…

"_We, unaccustomed to courage  
exiles from delight  
live coiled in shells of loneliness  
until love leaves its high holy temple  
and comes into our sight  
to liberate us into life."_  
--_Touched By An Angel_, Maya Angelou

**--END CHAPTER TEN: UNCHANGING--**

**

* * *

A/N: New poem! :) Yep. Um...let's see...oh yes: I do hope to end this shortly. I don't know how possible that is (and why I keep saying this...) but I just wanted to say that. Chapter 11 should be finished VERY soon! Seriously! By the time you read this--I might've already posted it! XD Aren't you glad?! ...I hope you guys still review for this chapter though. You don't have to. :) But it'd be nice because then I get your thoughts on THIS chapter as it is. So, yep, Review! [and chapter 11 will be up shortly, guys! ;)]  
**


	12. Chapter 11: CATECHIZE

**A/N: Kudos go to Whispering Lotus and Shadow-chan93 for being the first reviewers of chapter 10. :) Here's your next chapter, everyone! Another scene I've been _waiting _to write! XD Enjoy!**

* * *

**--CHAPTER ELEVEN: CATECHIZE-- **

"_Love arrives  
and in its train come ecstasies  
old memories of pleasure  
ancient histories of pain.  
Yet if we are bold,  
love strikes away the chains of fear  
from our souls."_  
--_Touched By An Angel_, Maya Angelou

…

He could hear he silence as it gathered around him.

His hand lingered on the doorknob.

And, with a deep breath, he took hold of the knob, twisted it and opened the door.

With a gasp, he took in the room. Looking around, he stepped deeper and deeper into the room, forgetting the open door behind him.

There were pictures everywhere.

There were pictures and photo albums and toys lying about.

What had taken his breath away so violently were the pictures of Rosette and…the babies. And tears were starting in his eyes again as he looked around. Oh, god, he thought, how much he'd missed.

On the wall above the mantel, directly across from the door, was a large framed portrait of Satella, Florette, Joshua, and Rosette…with two little babies in her arms.

Beside that was a picture of Joshua grinning as he clung onto Rosette from the back, and her annoyed happiness as she tipped backwards into him.

On the other side was the picture he'd seen; the one with Satella and Florette standing on either side of Rosette.

In another he saw, probably taken by Joshua, was a profile of Rosette against grass, green but mixing already with yellows and golds. It was taken of the waist and up. She was wearing a pastel blue dress that swelled around her belly; her arms were enclosed around the bulge of her stomach as she looked down softly, tenderly…sadly at it. Yes, there was sadness there.

He walked towards the shelf, almost tripping over a toy that lay on the ground.

He took out a book dated to the year they'd broken up and looked through.

He gasped softly as he looked at the pictures, quickly flipping through it now, and moving onto another.

Before he knew it he'd dragged out several books, and they lay now, strewn about him in a mess.

He gasped as he looked through every one of them.

There were pictures of Rosette during the months she must have been pregnant; pictures of Azzy and Joshua and Satella and Florette. And pictures of the twins.

Looking through the photos he felt he was witnessing something very private.

He felt like he was looking at a montage of their life.

Their life—

Someone cleared their throat behind him and he spun around to face the person, the books around him scattering a little to make room enough for him to turn.

He almost gasped as he turned to see Joshua standing there, his hand tightly fisted at his sides and his eyes glowering down at him. He could just see it there, written in the blonde's face—'How dare he come in here!' And then Satella was there, stunned, behind him. The maid was standing behind the redhead, glancing apologetically at her employer as she looked at him.

"Mr. Daemon," Satella finally said in a thinly civil voice. "Would you like to talk now—"

"Perhaps about why you stole into a _private room_ and are looking through books that were not meant for your eyes?!" Joshua cut her off.

He stood up and started, almost blindly, towards them as Satella led them back to the room he was supposed to be in; the "private room" closing with a definite _click_ behind them as they left.

Satella watched him as he sat down again on the couch he'd been in before.

She sat across from him, crossing her legs comfortably as Joshua remained standing, freely glaring at him.

"Talk, Mr. Daemon," she said coolly. He could hear the thinly veiled anger and malice in her voice.

He sighed, finally breaking out of that trance he'd been in before. "C'mon, Satella," he tried giving her a smile, "Why don't you just call me Chrono?"

Her lips pursed. And he felt as though Joshua's glare got hotter. How that was possible, he wouldn't know.

"Okay, _Chrono_," she said his name with sarcasm, rolling her eyes, "What business do you have here?"

"Why," he started, but stopped, trying to figure out the words to say. He glanced up at Joshua before quickly looking down. Finally he settled on whispering: "Why did no one—not one of you—tell me about Rosette? About…"

His shoulders were bent over again, his head dropping heavily.

"Why _should_ we have told you, _Chrono_?" Joshua bit out angrily. Satella beside him was clearly just as angry—no, _beyond_ angry! She'd thought Chrono was so much _better!_ But—but—!

"You broke it off with her—you practically _tore her heart out, you know that?!_—and you didn't even know if what was being said was true or not!" Joshua roared, now angry beyond control. And Chrono just sat as each and every word he uttered rushed at him like a tsunami wave and chipped away and tore at _his_ heart.

"You had the resources, _Chrono!_" the blond shouted. "You could have found out _for your self! _If only you'd wanted to!"

Joshua was right, he did have the resources to find out about Rosette. And he'd never done it.

"And do you know how much she cried, _Chrono?!_"

No, he didn't know.

"Do you know how often she smiled that big, _ugly, FAKE_ smile at us?" this came from Satella, her features angry, but her voice still low.

"How hard it was to _not_ scream at her and tell her it was okay and she didn't have to smile for us?! _Huh, Chrono?!_ Do you know how often I said to her that it was going to be okay—and she agreed, but never believed me?!" Joshua yelled again at him

He could hear pain in their voices; raw, aching, hurting pain.

"Do you know, _Chrono_," Satella's voice was slowly getting quieter, "Do you know that when she was giving birth, in all that pain of child labor, she had been _asking_, and _ASKING_ for _YOU?_ She was _crying_ for you…"

He couldn't bear it, to hear it told to him this way.

"Do you know how _painful_ it must be for her, Chrono, to see her children grow up and slowly look more and more like _you?!_" Joshua, by now, had calmed down some as he watched his sister—yes, he considered Satella and Florette just as much his sisters as Rosette—recollect the pain of watching, seemingly helplessly, as Rosette isolated herself in her pain, but his voice was still raised in indignant anger.

"_You don't know AT ALL, do you, Chrono?! You didn't know when you CARELESSLY tossed her away LIKE SOME TOY you had grown TIRED of playing with!"_ Joshua's face was red with rage, his anger slowly mounting again. "_IS THAT WHAT SHE WAS TO YOU, CHRONO?! A TOY?!"_

And Joshua had risen and crossed to him—punching him square in the jaw with that last word. His breath huffed out loudly in the silence that followed, Chrono slowly sitting back up, his glasses fallen off now. They scrutinized him, looking so closely he felt they could see right into his soul. He kept his face downturned. But they saw.

His maroon eyes downcast and red rimmed.

He had been crying.

"It's not—she's not…" his voice was soft, on the verge of breaking. "She's not a…toy to me." and his voice broke and his face dropped into his hands, his palms pressed tightly against his eyes. And they heard not a sound as silence reverberated loud enough that it seemed it would make their ears bleed if it grew any louder. They could see it though, and Chrono knew they could—it wasn't like he could hide it anyway.

He was crying.

Sighing out choking sobs that silently wracked his shoulders as the tears slipped from his eyes, wet his hands and slipped around his palms to drip down and down to stain whatever lay below him with the briny water that was his tears.

…

"Ariel," the girl turned to the boy, "We have a daddy, too."

The redheaded boy turned with a bright grin. "Really?"

The twins nodded. "Our mommy told us we did," the boy answered.

"Can I see your daddy, too?" Ariel asked innocently.

The twins looked at each other and Xavier slowly replied, "We dunno—don't know," he corrected quickly, "Where he is…"

"Oh," Ariel remarked sadly. "That's too bad."

"Yeah," the other two replied simultaneously.

"Maybe…" the girl grinned, "Maybe we can go look for him!"

The boys looked at each other questioningly before saying a thoughtful 'yes.'

…

--One Week Later—

Chrono looked at the photos.

Yes, he knew what he was doing may _not_ be _right_, but…

He flipped through the manila folder that looked so much like the one that had angered him so much years ago.

He looked at the photos secretly taken of Rosette, of the kids—whose names were Aimee and Xavier, he loved those names—of where they lived, and worked and went to school.

So far he'd learned that Rosette, Aimee, and Xavier lived above Rosette's bakery, and the twins went to a preschool called "Shooting Stars Preschool" for half a day. They were friendly, but especially close to a little redheaded boy named Ariel—mother: Mariel, father: Gabriel. Rosette's bakery was doing all right, Rosette was associated with Jonathon Smite of _Smite and Food Inc._—in other words, that man who she'd been laying with in the picture. The picture he had not found the origin of yet.

He frowned.

There was a picture of that guy, Jonathon Smite, picking up and smiling at the twins—holding the hand of the little girl that should have been looking up adoringly at _him_, not that man who they were not even related to. The burst of jealousy did not subside as he continued to flip through the file.

He finally he just got up and dropped the heavy file onto the table.

He turned towards the door and, with a stubborn look, pushed open the door and stepped out.

…

She was having doubts.

She'd seen Rosette—and the little kids with her. Of course Rosette hadn't seen her.

But it had been enough to see them.

Rosette seemed…happy enough.

But…again she wondered, why did Rosette—why did these innocent little children—have to be so involved in this? She liked Chrono just fine—but she loved Aion more.

She understood his reasons.

But…she wouldn't have minded so much if there weren't kids involved.

Innocent little kids.

Did they…did they have to grow up with no father?

The woman sighed, exhaling a long, heavy, tired breath.

She was having doubts.

…

Aimee hummed happily as she held each of the boys hands in her hands, swinging their arms as they walked along the busy street looking around wide-eyed.

"Where we going to first?" Ariel asked.

"Hmm…" the Xavier turned to Aimee, "Maybe we should go to the beach. We saw a man there with hair like us…"

"Yeah!" the little girl shouted excitedly, "Maybe we can find our daddy there!" She was grinning bigger than before. "Maybe he just got lost—and needs us to come find him. Like Mommy found us when _we_ got lost!"

**--END CHAPTER ELEVEN: CATECHIZE--**

**

* * *

A/N: Okay... :s So how was that? Not too bad? Yep! This was another scene I'd been waiting to write--the one where Joshua socks Chrono in the face and his glasses come off. XD :D I'd like some insight please! Review! I want to know if it was as well written as I hoped! Really!  
**


	13. Chapter 12: NIGHT

**A/N: All right! NEW CHAPTER! Enjoy! :D (It's VERY long.)**

* * *

**--CHAPTER TWELVE: NIGHT-- **

Chrono looked up at the sky. It was clouded and dark and cast the buildings and streets in shades of concrete gray. He frowned. It was most definitely going to rain.

Good thing he had the umbrella.

…

Aimee looked up and down the walkway.

It was so empty compared to the time she and Xavier had been here and she'd seen that man…

"Xavier," she murmured softly to him as she squeezed his hands tightly, "I don't think we'll find our daddy here."

He looked back just as worried as he looked at the sky and they looked at Ariel who was on the other side of Aimee. He was smiling a little as he glanced around.

"So where we going to go?" he asked as he finally looked at them. His smile faltered as he looked at the two who were looking around worriedly.

"Aimee? Xavier? What's wrong?" he turned around, then looked up at the sky. A soft 'oh' escaped his lips. He could just as easily as them see the ominous-looking clouds, feel the cold breeze blowing in.

"It's dark," Aimee whispered with worry now as she, too, looked around.

"Yeah," Xavier nodded slowly in agreement.

…

When Rosette got to the school, the teachers and the redheaded Gabriel were scattered around looking desperate and scared. Rosette's grin faltered as Gabriel came up to her, his face marred with worry.

"Rosette," he gave a little sigh of relief, "Have you seen the kids? Ariel and Aimee and Xavier?"

At her confused look his relief evaporated. "They're missing," he whispered, "All three of them. Gone."

He looked back at the teachers who were now rushing up to her.

"One minute they were there, waiting, and the next—" the redhead looked at the teachers to finish explaining.

One of the young woman finally answered, fearfully looking around. "And we just turned around—and they were gone!"

The blonde's breath caught in her throat. "Gone?" she whispered. "How can they just be…gone?" She felt like she was going to faint. How could they be gone? How could _three_ little kids just _disappear_?!

The woman looked just as scared as her. "I—I don't know," she stuttered as her eyes continued to look frantically around the yard as if they might miraculously pop out from behind a dying bush or tree. Which they didn't, of course.

Rosette looked around and her heart stopped.

"The gate," she clutched at her chest, "Was the gate open?"

They looked at the gate that she had just come from. The woman looked at her, then at the ground.

"Yes—but," she tried to explain, reason, "They couldn't have gone out—we would've seen…"

Rosette frowned as she looked quickly around the yard.

Then a thought came to her. Maybe they had decided to go look for their "daddy"—in the place where they'd last seen a man who had the same hair color as them.

She gasped and headed back out the gate, towards the beach path that they took home from time to time.

"R-Rosette?!" She heard the redhead call from behind her. She didn't turn around, but she heard his sound of his feet as they hit the ground behind her.

She kept running, worry making a knot in her stomach.

It was going to rain—and it looked like it might be a storm.

…

Chrono sighed as he came out of the building.

So it had been Aion, huh?

That old…enemy of sorts.

He should've known. Jonathon Smite's company was a competitor of Aion's company, and Aion hated him. So, he'd probably thought, why not pit enemy against enemy? Chrono laughed a little.

He hadn't even bothered to look at the picture closely.

If he had, he would've seen they had been photoshoped. Rosette's face put onto another woman's body and blended on so well he really didn't notice it.

The work of Shader, of course.

He frowned.

Why would his high school science teacher do that?

But…then again…

And…Mary.

She had just been used by them.

They had given the pictures to her because they knew he trusted her, and she'd probably thought she could trust them.

Of course she hadn't known Aion and Chrono's past, or else she would've never trusted them.

Chrono sighed.

He needed to talk to Rosette.

He needed her forgiveness—he needed her to understand.

But, fear launched through him, would she really forgive him?

He heard an almost silent _plip_ and then felt the wet drop as it dripped down the side of his face.

He put a hand out, looked up at the sky—and was met with a torrent of rain as the water gushed out from the dark clouds.

It was raining.

…

Rosette was walking, looking frantically even as the rain poured down over her, starting to soak her clothes. She dropped the umbrella she was carrying back at the preschool.

Gabriel was far behind now.

She could just see the speck of his red hair as he followed her if she turned around.

But she didn't.

She was looking at forward, across the walkway, around the trees, behind the bushes—anywhere they could hide in this rain.

Thunder sounded.

Lightning flashed.

Her heart stopped for the second time that day.

They were scared of this.

…

Aimee was crying.

And so was Xavier.

Ariel could do nothing but shiver as the twins clung to him desperately.

He looked up as a bright flash of light drove across the sky.

The twins pressed even closer to him as they huddled in the little tunnel, their arms wrapped tightly around him and each other as if they didn't they would be washed away by this rain.

Of course Ariel was scared, too.

But…looking down at the other two…he had to be brave, he told himself. Like Superman was!

He wrapped his arms around the two with him.

Aimee was whimpering.

"I—I want Mommy," she cried in a hoarse whisper.

Xavier brought a hand up to wipe his runny nose quickly.

"Yeah," he whispered back in a tortured voice, "I wanna go home. I want Mommy."

They both looked at the silent redhead beside them. The rain pounded loudly around them.

"I'm scared, too…" he whispered to them as he squeezed them tighter.

They all nodded in agreement of that as thunder sounded loudly above and they almost jumped high enough to go through the top of the tunnel and touch the sky.

…

Oh, god, Rosette thought wildly to herself. Oh god, oh god, oh god. Let them be all right. Please let them be okay.

And then she saw them.

Three tiny forms huddled against the inside a playground tunnel.

Above the lightning flashed again, a brilliant neon blue, or so it seemed.

She ran towards them, the relief she felt inexplicable as a wavering smile made its way to her face.

She was now soaked to the bone, her bright blonde hair, a washed out version of itself, clung to her pale face as her clothes clung tightly to her slim form. But she didn't care. The children were there, and they seemed all right.

"Aimee!" she shouted. "Xavier!"

At the call of their names, they looked up at her, their faces a mask of terror.

And then she heard a loud cry as she kneeled quickly to take them in her arms. Aimee was wailing loudly, the tears streaming down her face as she clung to her.

And Xavier was doing the exact same.

The little redheaded boy sat back, looking uncomfortably up at her.

She smiled at him and beckoned him forward.

He did come, albeit slowly, hesitantly.

She enclosed him in a hug, too, and she felt as his small body sagged into her. She could hear his almost silent sobs.

"You were brave, weren't you?" she whispered softly to him.

He nodded his head against her shoulder.

"Thank you," she said as squeezed him tightly and Gabriel came up behind her with a huge sigh of relief.

"Daddy!" he shouted as he threw himself at his father.

Rosette smiled, her own children hugged tightly to her wet body as he handed her the umbrella she'd dropped at the school.

…

Rosette looked down at her twins, mock anger on her face as they stepped through the doorway of their house

"So would you like to tell your mommy now why you two were out there?" she asked as the started up the stairs.

They looked nervously at each other.

Finally Xavier broke and said quietly, "We were looking for daddy."

Rosette's mouth fell in her shock. She quickly recovered and closed her mouth.

"Your daddy?" she asked.

"Yeah," Aimee answered, "I thought maybe he was just lost, like we were that one time…and he needs us to find him."

Rosette smiled softly at their innocence.

But she didn't know what to say.

Having them miss their father this much…it put her in distraught.

They wanted to see him so much they even went out to look for him.

Maybe she should just tell them.

But…she hesitated again.

How could she tell them that he hadn't wanted her anymore? That it wasn't because he was lost that he wasn't with them?

How could she make them understand that he hated her—might even hate them?

Of course, she couldn't.

…

They were quiet as they reached the door.

Their mommy wasn't saying anything and they didn't know if that was good or bad.

Suddenly, as they reached the top floor and their mommy reached for the lights, she fell.

With growing alarm they looked at her.

"Mo…Mommy?" Xavier asked tentatively. "Mommy?" he asked again, more frantic now.

Aimee reached for her mother's hand.

"Xavier…" she whispered, "Mommy's…so cold…"

The boy's eyes grew big as they looked down at her.

…

Chrono hurried as he saw the bakery before him. He turned to go around to the back where he knew the entrance their apartment was. He slowed now as he came to the door, his curled hand hesitating as he raised it to knock.

Then he heard a loud wailing from inside.

Two voices.

His blood ran cold as the cries rose along with desperate please of "mommy."

What…what could've happened to Rosette?

His fist beat insistently at the door, but only the sound of the children's crying rose.

Frantic now with worry, he pounded again.

But no one came.

He grabbed for the doorknob, jiggling it.

It was unlocked.

He pushed the door open and clambered up the stairs in haste.

He stopped, almost instantly, as he came to the landing of the stairs, before the open door.

Rosette laid on the ground, her face awkwardly turned to the side, her clothes soaked wet. Her long wet hair unraveling and falling in a messy halo behind her head and down her back.

He gasped.

The two children turned to look at him.

Their dark curled hair fell back behind them into ponytails as they looked up with big crocodile tears in their eyes, their hands holding desperately to Rosette. He rushed forward, towards Rosette, a cold growing in his heart.

She…she couldn't be dead…could she?

Quickly, in fear, he stepped forward and behind Rosette, pulling her up and gathering her into his arms.

It couldn't be…

She had to be all right.

He could feel the tears starting in his own eyes as the twins beside him sniffled.

He was hyperventilating now, he was sure, as he pressed her tightly to him, breathing in her familiar and yet unfamiliar scent.

He brought a hand up to her neck.

Yes!

He almost wanted to shout with relief.

Her heart was still beating and he put a hand up over her mouth, hovering. Her breath blew gently, warm against the cold skin of his hands. He was crying now.

She was all right.

Rosette was…all right.

Beside him the children were sitting, almost quietly watching.

"Mommy's…not dead, is she?" the little boy finally asked.

He grinned as he looked up.

He must've looked ridiculous, he knew.

"No…no, she'll be all right…she'll be…all right," he whispered as though he was not so much talking to them, but to himself.

He sighed as he rested his forehead against hers—and almost pulled back.

She was burning up!

He quickly got up, leading the children with him and closing the door behind him before asking them where their mommy's room was.

The little boy was looking hesitantly at him, but told him all the same.

He glanced at them quickly before taking Rosette to her room.

They weren't wet.

He smiled. "Do you want to help me make your mommy better?" he asked. "She's just a little sick right now."

They grinned up at him and nodded.

"Okay, then…" he paused, trying to think of something, "Why don't you two go get some towels? Do you know where they are?"

Again they nodded, then they headed for the door.

Chrono watched them as they disappeared before he turned back to Rosette, worry on his face again.

He pulled out the phone.

"Hello?" he asked into the phone. "Yes, can I speak to Dr. Ewan Remington? Tell him this is Chrono."

He didn't know if this was the right thing to do, but Remington was the best doctor he knew.

"Chrono?" the doctor asked from the other line.

"Remington," he started, "Remington, I need you to come here right now. I don't know if she'll be okay—Rosette, that is. I think she just has a fever—but I don't know!" he shouted frantically, "So…! So please come right now, Remington." He sounded like he was on the verge of begging.

The man murmured a pliant 'yes, I'll be there as quickly as possible,' before asking for the address and hanging up.

Chrono turned now to Rosette as the children came marching back in with towels in their hands.

The man smiled at them, trying to ease their fear as well as his own.

Now…for the task of changing her…

He blushed, the tips of his ears burning red.

…

"She'll be all right," Ewan said as they stood outside the door, Ewan still recovering from the shock of seeing the twins. "She just needs some rest…it was over-exhaustion, and her standing in the rain that caused her to get this sick. She's soaked to the bone."

"Yeah…" he murmured as he looked into the room again, at the children curled on the bed beside their mother.

"Remington?" Chrono turned now to the older man.

"Yes?"

"Do you think…" he trailed off. "Do you think," he tried again, "That Rosette will ever forgive me?"

The blonde looked hard at him before answering honestly, "I think you stand good chance of being forgiven, Chrono."

"Yeah…" he whispered. "Thanks."

She could forgive, couldn't she? She had forgiven Joshua…

Maybe she could…one day forgive him for all his stupid, careless mistakes.

He smiled as he watched the children and listened to the sound of Remington's retreating footsteps.

As the sound of the door closing echoed throughout the house, he stepped into the room.

The twins watched with curiosity as he came closer.

He smiled as he kneeled on the bed beside them, lay his head on the sheets.

They were changed into a pair of pajamas and snuggled closer to their mother as he laid down his head beside them, truly content for the first time in four years and fell asleep.

…

"_We are weaned from our timidity  
In the flush of love's light  
we dare be brave  
And suddenly we see  
that love costs all we are  
and will ever be.  
Yet it is only love  
which sets us free."_  
--_Touched By An Angel_, Maya Angelou

**--END CHAPTER TWELVE: NIGHT--**

**

* * *

A/N: Next will be epilogue. And that's it. So how was it, this chapter? Sorry if it was TOO long for your liking, but...well, if I didn't make it this long it would've been EXTRA short. :) Yeah. Okay. Review!  
**


	14. EPILOGUE

**A/N: Okay, this is the last and final. I've gotta warn you now though: CLICK THAT BACK BUTTON if you DO NOT like/CAN NOT stand some angst and disconsolation. Because I warn you here and now that this chapter--though the epilogue--is filled with A LOT of that. Okay. :) Other than that. Enjoy!**

* * *

**--MORE THAN ONCE: EPILOGUE—**

"…and said, "I think you stand a good chance of being forgiven—"

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Mr. Daemon," voices called from the door. "Chrono."

He turned, a sad smile on his face. Time to go, huh?

"Yes, yes, I'm getting up," he acknowledged, "Remington, Mary…Jonathon."

He turned back to the blonde sitting in the chair across from him and smiled. "I guess that's it for today then, Rosette."

The woman gave a childish pout. "But you were just getting to the good part," she said in that same voice.

And his heart almost stopped. He was sure it would stop, this was so painful. But he smiled at her. "Tomorrow, tomorrow," he said, knowing she might not even remember. "I'll finish it tomorrow…promise." Yes, she might not even remember him tomorrow.

She grinned brightly at him and laughed, chirping, "Okay, see you tomorrow then, Chrono!"

He grinned back, holding tight his heart—her smile, her laughter, was always so infectious.

Ewan smiled at them as Chrono put on his jacket. Spring was coming, but it wasn't here yet, he sighed.

As Remington closed the door behind them and Mary looked at him sadly from Jonathon's arms, his fist tightened at his sides as he tried to fight the tears. It wouldn't hurt so much if Rosette wasn't so…so…he didn't know what to say. If she wasn't still so much the same. Yeah, that was it. It wouldn't be so painful if Rosette wasn't still so much the same. Yes, they'd found a cure for Alzheimer's, were close to finding a cure for almost all cancers—yet—yet—

The tears slipped from his eyes.

Yet _this_ had happened.

"_Oh…where did I leave them?" Rosette looked at him. "Did you see where I left them, Chrono, my…?" She shook her head. "Never mind."_

_The dark haired man looked at her, worriedly._

_She waved a hand, as if to wave away his concern. "Don't worry, Chrono," she muttered, "I'm fine."_

_Yeah…but was she really? This was happening more and more often._

…

"_Chrono…" the blonde doctor looked at him, his face a mask of seriousness, "Listen…this isn't Alzheimer's. There's no way we can…we can…stop this…slow it…we can't…do anything."_

_He was still shocked. _

"_What—what do you mean?" he asked. "You're saying…it's nothing serious, right? Right? She'll get better without…without the need of medicine, right?!" he was almost hysteric now._

_The blonde looked at him with sympathy and gave a soft sigh. "No, Chrono," he was silent a long time then. "This…it's a new form of…dementia. It's only been discovered…a couple years now…a couple years…a few cases…"_

_Everything the doctor said after that was lost to Chrono, but the blonde man kept trying. Chrono was standing there, bent forward, towards the doctor, shaking. His eyes were wide as dinner plates and seeing nothing as he trembled._

"_Listen, Chrono!" The doctor finally shouted, grabbing him by the shoulders and gently shaking him. "Listen!" _

_The shell-shocked man finally turned to look at him._

"_There are cures for diseases now which we never thought were possible. But diseases evolve as we do, too. We all change, Chrono. You have to understand that." The man was looking at him sternly now and he nodded absently._

"_So too medicine will evolve. We'll find a cure for this, Chrono. We'll find a cure for this someday. I know we will."_

Yes, "someday" Remington had said.

But someday was not today, and it wasn't yesterday, or the day before that.

And he couldn't think that it would be tomorrow.

Maybe tomorrow Rosette would have already forgotten about today.

Maybe she wouldn't even remember their promise.

Of course—

"Daddy!"

He turned.

"Aimee," he sighed, quickly wiping the remnants of tears from his eyes. "Xavier."

The young woman slowed as she came closer, the two men not far behind her.

"So…" Xavier murmured softly as Aimee took Ariel with her and looked through the glass of the ornate door to look at their mother. "How is she today?"

Chrono smiled softly.

"She's…doing well, son."

He smiled back, his smile reflecting his father's pain. "That's…good," he finally said.

The older man nodded. It was good that Rosette was doing so well.

"I want to see Mommy!" Aimee declared quickly as she turned back to them and turned back around, already heading through the door before anybody around them could protest against the act.

…

"Okay, let's check your breathing now…" the doctor was taking off his stethoscope from around his neck.

Aimee stopped, breathing lightly as she stared at them.

It had been so long since she'd seen her mother this close.

She slowly inched forward as the woman known as her mother watched her with curiosity. She reached out a hand when she was close enough and touched her mother's cheek, holding her mother's cheek in the palm of her hand lightly.

She looked…all right. A little pale, but…otherwise, she was okay.

A smile of relief escaped her as she fell before the woman and pulled her arms around her.

"Mommy…" she breathed almost silently.

She knew Ariel was behind her, that Xavier and her father were behind him with Jonathon and his wife, Mary, at the door. Yes…and she could hear it now, Aunt Azzy and Uncle Joshua as they came up the hall, talking softly, almost absently amongst themselves.

She felt the gold and diamond of her ring finger as her hands clasped behind the blonde's neck. She breathed in the familiar, yet so different scent. Her mother…this was her…

"Who are you?" the woman was suddenly stiff in her arms. "Who…?"

She tried to hold back a gasp as the blonde—her mother—struggled in her hold.

She finally let loose as the woman pleaded with her to let go, that she was sorry but she had the wrong person.

No, this was not the wrong person. This was…her…

"Mommy," she cried, her voice breaking midway as she fell back.

But she didn't meet the floor as she had expected. Looming above her was Ariel and he was looking down at her sadly. Yes, he was saying silently, he'd been afraid this would happen.

And she turned around, her dark, curled locks whipping through the air as she turned to bury her face in his chest—hide herself from this world in his arms. No…she wasn't usually this weak.

But…she was glad…when she _was_ this weak…when she broke down…when she couldn't take it…he was there, his arms waiting for her. Ever since they were little.

…

Rosette was in hysterics now, as all others but the doctor were pulled from the room. Attendants, nurses, came rushing in.

Aimee was crying openly now, her sobs wracking her slim frame as she turned from her husband to her father.

"D-daddy," she cried as she wrapped her arms around him, "Why doesn't she…even remember me?"

Chrono looked down at his daughter, pain playing clearly across his face.

"It's the…disease, darling," he finally answered, his voice strained, pained. His arms slowly coming up to enclose his daughter in a tight embrace as Xavier and Ariel moved to hold her also and Joshua stood to the side holding a shaking Azmaria who watched on in helplessness.

…

Ariel was silent.

Everyone was as they drove through the remote setting of large, old trees and grasses.

Ariel could remember…the first person they'd told that they were getting married. That was Rosette.

"_I'm so happy," she'd said, her big, motherly smile on her face. _

_But when Aimee had stepped out of the room…_

_She looked at him, her face serious. "Now, I just want to make something clear to you, Ariel, you better be going hand and foot into this. There's no way this is a half-way deal. This isn't so that you can just get a divorce in a few months because you fell "out of love." You hear me?"_

_He nodded, totally intrigued and a bit nervous now. His own mother had died while giving birth to his little sister. Was this how mothers acted when their daughters got married? If so…he'd have to remember…_

"_You are ABSOLUTELY sure you love Aimee? With all your heart and soul?"_

_He was a bit taken aback by the question, and so sat silent for a few long minutes._

"_Well?" the blonde inquired._

"_Y-yes," he answered, a nervous grin on his face. "I love Aimee absolutely and without resolve." He managed to finish confidently._

_The blonde grinned. "Good," she said, "I already knew you did. I just wanted to make sure you knew."_

_He nodded._

_The blonde sighed. "All right then…" she laughed, "I feel so old now. Soon I'll be running after grandkids."_

_He flushed a deep red, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "W-wait—we're not going that—"_

_She silenced him with a knowing wink._

He chuckled now, to himself.

Aimee turned to him, looking at him questioningly.

He looked at her, then turned back to the road.

"I was just thinking about when we told your mother that we were getting married."

"Ah," she answered, "That." And she laughed now, too, remembering what her mother had told her.

…

This disease was not only wearing down on his mother, it was wearing down his father, too.

Xavier sighed as he tried to keep the man from going again.

"It's all right," Chrono turned to his son, "I'll be fine. It's your mother I'm worried about."

He could swear his father was a masochist.

Xavier gave an exasperated sigh as he let his father go.

"Why do you keep going?" he question. Yes, he knew he sounded cruel, trying to keep his father from going to see his mother. But it hurt knowing how much his father loved his mother and yet…yet she did not remember him any more. Nor did she remember them. And it was killing him inside to see his father do this time and time again.

"I know," his father was smiling now. He knew it; his father was a masochist.

The older man looked at him knowingly. "Maybe I am a masochist," he chuckled to himself. "But I know…I know one of these days…Rosette will remember me…your mother will…I know she will. She's…Rosette, after all. I can't help but hope," he sighed.

Yes, hope. That was what they all were trying to hold so desperately to.

Hope.

…

"How is she today?" he asked Remington as he stood before the door.

"She's…not doing so well, Chrono. Her heart…" the man replied honestly, "Be careful. Call us if there's any trouble."

He nodded.

…

"Do you remember where we were?" he asked as he sat across from the woman.

She smiled.

"The doctor was just leaving," she answered.

He smiled. She remembered that, at least.

Maybe he could really get her to gain all her memories…

Even though the doctors said it wasn't possible.

They said it was most likely degenerative, like Alzheimer's.

_Most likely_.

There was still hope then, right?

It was all right to hope, wasn't it?

"Ah…yes," he finally answered, and started the again the story—their story.

…

It was late afternoon already and the "story" was coming to an end. A dinner had been set out for them and the window was open, letting in the little light from setting sun and the cool breeze. Yes, soon Chrono wouldn't know what to tell her. Maybe he'd start the story again.

She'd forgotten the beginning already.

Their beginning.

"And they married in the coming spring, on a warm day, like today was," he smiled. Yes, it was a day like today had been outside: "Warm and sunny with puffy cotton-like clouds in the azure of the sky, a warm breeze foretelling of summer's coming blowing softly through the branches of budding leaves and blooming flowers. In a world where life was just beginning, they tried to begin again. But…"

He smiled sadly now as he told his inner-most feelings, his fear.

"He never knew if she truly ever forgave him for what he did."

A rush of wind blew in, and in a moment, before he even saw, she was up, her shawl falling from her shoulders to the ground as she crossed the distance and held him tightly in her arms, tears starting in her eyes.

"Chrono," she whispered his name like a prayer.

Tears were in his eyes and he was sitting stock still, his arms not even moving to embrace her in his shocked happiness.

"Chrono," she whispered again, "You dummy…I forgave you a long time ago, you idiot."

Sobs were wrenching from his throat now as his arms came up cling to her.

She'd remembered…she'd remembered…

"You…remember, Rosette."

A slight nod—then she went stiff in his arms.

A gasp escaped her throat and she pushed at him.

But he couldn't let go.

Finally, grasping what was going on—her sobbing and struggling and yelling—and let her go. She was gasping and clutching at her chest, tears in her eyes as she looked up at him.

He ran to the door, slammed the door open, yelling for nurses—the doctors—whoever was out there to help!

Remington was there in a second, looking worn and weary, and ever the older.

"W-what happened?!" he was yelling.

Chrono shook his head. "I-I don't know—I think it's her heart—but she remembered! She remembered me, Remington!" He was looking crazily at the man, tears still streaming from his eyes, but a grin on his face.

He was a man crazy with hope.

Rosette was rushed in a stretcher to the emergency room and Chrono followed close behind.

…

He was made to wait outside the room. Wait!

He could understand now why Rosette hated waiting.

Everyone was coming—they were all worried. Aimee and Ariel, Xavier and Alexis, Joshua, Azzy, Satella and Evelyn, Florette and Viede. Even Jonathon and Mary and Gabrielle. Miriam was at Ariel and Aimee's house with all the kids.

He laughed a little at the thought, remembering something Rosette had said during one of the last days she remembered them.

"_Chrono," he'd turned to her. She was smiling as she watched everyone gathered in and around the big pool. "Look," she said, "We've gone from…just thinking we were by ourselves, with no family left…to this whole big family." _

Yeah. They were all one big family.

His breath hitched.

And Rosette forgot them all.

But she'd remembered, if just for a moment—she'd remembered!

Aion was coming up the hall suddenly, his signature hair swaying freely behind him as he walked slowly up to him, Shader behind him.

"C-Chrono," the man that didn't stutter just did. He looked at the doors and looked at him and back again nervously. Then he looked at Shader and at him.

"You're…okay?" he asked.

Chrono smiled a little.

He didn't hate him so much any more.

He'd come to understand that he, too, had been at fault and that he had made mistakes also. Aion…he'd wanted to be brothers, Chrono had learned in a drunken confession. He'd come to the boys school just for that. But, Chrono had never noticed.

Chrono forgave him.

Looking at Aion…it just made him a little sad now, to see what might have happened had things not turned out the way they had. Of course he wouldn't it be any other way, because he'd had his time with Rosette and their kids and their grandkids and Joshua and Azzy and their kids and Satella and Florette and their husbands and families. And his grandfather.

He smiled.

"I'll…I'll be all right," he answered. Shader smiled encouragingly at him. He'd forgiven her, too. She'd been in love. (Of course that wasn't any excuse…)

"Mr. Chrono Daemon?" a doctor walked out from the emergency room.

He turned immediately.

"Yes? That's me."

The man looked sadly at him.

"You…Dr. Remington said I should tell you," his voice was getting softer and he looked away, "You should go see her."

Chrono's voice choked.

Did that mean…? Did it mean…?

"She's…dead…?" he asked, not believing.

"N-no, but," Chrono was already pushing past, "there's nothing more we can do for her," the doctor called from behind him. The words no one wanted to hear in a hospital.

"R-Rosette?" he called tentatively as he came into the room.

There she was, hooked to an IV with her eyes shut and doctors and nurses in white around her.

He pushed past them, the monitor—her heart was weakening. He needed to see her. He needed to see her before—

"_Rosette!"_ he shouted.

The room seemed to stand still as he took her hand in his.

She turned to look at him and smiled.

"Chro…no," she muttered as he threw his arms over her; the doctors had already backed off. They knew—he knew—she was going to die tonight. He knew—but he couldn't except.

"Rosette," he muttered again, his voice thick and seeming to choke his very breath as the one word dropped from his lips.

"Everyone's…okay, Chrono?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Xavier…and Aimee…Ariel…Alexis…Azzy…Joshy…Satella?" she listed. He grinned as the tears brightened his red cheeks.

"Yes, yes," he answered, "Everyone's okay, Rosette."

She smiled and closed her eyes.

"No!" he shouted to her, "Don't close your eyes—you'll get better!" he knew she wouldn't leave this bed alive, but the tears were streaming down his face. Her eyes opened slowly once more as she looked fondly at him. "You'll get better! Everyone's waiting for you at home—Joshy and Azzy, Xavier and Aimee, and Satella and Florette! The kids! Everyone's waiting…" her eyes were slowly closing again as she smiled at him. Her hand had made it's way up to his face and he didn't even know till now, but she was wiping his tears from him as he had cried.

"Rosette!" he shouted. She couldn't—"ROSETTE! _**ROSETTE**__!"_

But she was already gone, he heard her last breath leave her as he laid on her chest, the air coming out in a soft puff.

He was still clutching at her shirt though. The tears streaming down his face—there was no stopping them now.

Why did his heart hurt so much? It hurt so much!

One hand clutched at his chest now, his breaths coming quick and leaving just as quick.

He was sure his chest would explode.

But he wouldn't let go of Rosette.

He heard shouting, machines, beeping, people, crying, wailing.

Or was that all just him?

He fell to his knees.

No.

They were trying to pull him from Rosette.

He wouldn't let them.

He looked at Rosette's smiling face.

She'd been…happy.

She'd forgiven him.

She'd remembered.

Rosette…

He sighed and let out his breath.

Everything was so hazy now, it was turning dark, but he could see Xavier and Aimee leaning over him.

They were crying, too.

He smiled.

Everything was going to be okay.

He brought a comforting hand up to brush away their tears, his other never leaving Rosette's.

And he sighed and closed his eyes.

He could see Rosette there, smiling, waiting for him, and offering him her hand.

He opened them once more to look at his children, he smiled.

"She remembered. And…I love you," he sighed before closing his eyes and taking that hand that Rosette was offering him.

**--END MORE THAN ONCE EPILOGUE--**

**

* * *

**

**A/N: So...how was that? /:) I know, I know. Some of you will ABSOLUTELY hate it, but I can't see a point where they DON'T die! I mean this is CHRONO CRUSADE! I had to write their end. If you ask me...I think this is a rather "happy" ending. Though...maybe not in the normal sense. Okay. So tell me what you think--SERIOUSLY! I. WANT. TO. KNOW. If not for any chapter before--at least THIS one, please! So, I'm begging you! REVIEW! **

**P.S. I will be going into a LONG sleep and who knows when and if I'll ever come back to fanfiction. But, I think, some things are a circle. You will get back to your beginning eventually no matter how far you venture from it. And...one more thing. I really wanted this story to have a lot about...well, forgivness. Forgiving others, you know? I hope I've written this well enough to be understood. t.t' Though if I'm saying it...I probably don't think I've written it well enough. ALL RIGHT THEN! Thank you EVERYONE who has read, reviewed, faved, or subscribed! I appreciate you all SO MUCH! You have all kept me going and motivated about this story--I finished it for all of you guys! (So I do hope it's okay by your standards...) Again, thank you, everyone! I will be going now and I might not come back for a long time--if ever. :) Ja!**


End file.
